Love Sick
by Stepping Silver
Summary: When Beast Boy and Robin return to the Teen Titans from a three years leave, Beast Boy's excitement is nearly explosive! As the others get used to his changes, he realizes that he isn't the only one who has changed. How exactly does he feel about this, and what will he do? And how will they fare with a life-threatening mission? BBxRae. Read & Review! It's really good - pinky swear!
1. To Reunite

***** DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters associated/owned by the DC Universe. This story has been for entertainment and enjoyment.**

***** NOTE: There will be mild crossover of the Young Justice Universe and Teen Titans Universe - the character's prominent memories and personality will be more influenced by Teen Titans.**

**This is my first Teen Titans fic, also my first published fic here on FanFiction~ My hope is that I will receive a lot of growth and encouragement here, as well as hopefully make a few friends! So please enjoy, and favorites, reviews, and ratings would be absolutely MARVELOUS!**

**With Love,**

**Silver**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - To Reunite**

**o0o0o0o0o**

Beast Boy would have thought that his first time wailing down the free-way on a rad motor bike would've been with him driving, a cute blonde wrapped around his torso, driving off into the sunset. Though he found no reason to complain now, the changeling's accommodations were not as he imagined. First off and from his position, all the young man could see square in front of him was a bright yellow helmet, something found very annoying. Why would Robin be so against a little breeze in his hair, enjoying the windy-turbo from this ride? And second off, the light fluttering sensitivity across his skin and churning in his stomach caused this normally exciting ride to turn into something a little more nerve racking. With a firm grip on his friend's red tunic (_no WAY am I gonna go huggin' him!_ was the reason for this less-than-safe grip), spine arching as he looked up to the endless sky, the original Teen Titan couldn't believe he was going back home.

Though certainly, many things could register as home - in the Congo, with his mom and dad, or with the Doom Patrol, bickering with Rita, his other mom. Certainly two places he could sleep relaxed and contentedly, though the former Doom gang could be a bit noisy and nagging. But they were home. As his body righted itself and the driving comrade pointed a finger at the nostalgic giant 'T' appearing on the coast, Beast Boy smiled wide and had a giddy feeling tingling from his toes to his nose. Now this, this, place was certainly home. Where he grew up, where he opened up, where he broke down, and was built back up again. Jump City held the most fondest memories of his life, and some most painful, but no hero left love unscathed. And by love, he meant his time as part of Teen Titans West, heroes of probably one of the craziest cities on the coast.

And then those butterflies started up again, not aided by the fact Robin was showing off some motor skills by taking a sharp left turn.

"Dude! Hey!" It was all Beast Boy managed to say with the deafening wind, and he was sure it fell on deaf ears.

Why butterflies? Well he had been gone so long. And after the Brotherhood of Evil came and went, well, things changed. They had grown, and steps had to be made. Steps to explore, to grow, to branch-out, and to revisit. Why, if anything, Beast Boy was safe to say he felt almost guilty for taking a leave for a few years with Robin to assist the Young Justice League, though regretting it was something certain he didn't feel about his choice. But then again, that made the anticipation of reuniting with his former teammates so much more exciting.

He envisioned an all out rematch-war with Cyborg on their old games, allowing Starfire to dote on his growth and him to take in the happiness that was always her, and to give Raven a few snide jokes he had been working up just for this one special time. Though unfortunately, this one special time took a long time coming, and the green boy found himself fidgeting behind Robin. There was a pause, but more fidgeting came, and as if on cue Robin spoke in his authoritative voice inform from under the helmet, slightly muffled.

"Less than five minutes Beast Boy. I know this ride has been a bit longer then you're used to." But knowing words and actions had two different effects on the changeling, Robin stepped on the gas further to emphasize their near arrival time.

As the speed increased, the passenger's lime eyes widened, as he raised his hands and cried something that he could only say every once in a while.

"Jump City! I am HOME!" A series of hoots and hollers followed, the example of glee.

Robin, in response, could only wish he could drive faster - who said Beast Boy was the only one else excited to get back home?

* * *

As promised, the ride took no longer than five minutes before the duo was pulling up in the rocky garage of Titans Tower. Beast Boy, hardly containing his excitement, vaulted off of Robin's bike only to be greeted with wobbly legs, crouching to a knee in order to steady himself. The ride had been a long one, but the excitement had only made it seem faster than it was. Once circulation was finally flowing, the young man stood and stretched, turning to look at Robin, who had dismounted the cycle and abandoned his helmet, looking around with a stiff face.

It hadn't only been Beast Boy who had missed home, and the studying of Robin's expression made something very clear - the last time all five were here, they were so much younger. Young enough to still be careless, and young enough to rightfully be dubbed the 'Teen' Titans. The once smooth faced and spikey haired leader doned a much more sturdy outfit, remnant of his Nightwing ensemble. Robin had been switching back and forth between these personas, and it was clear to see why. Robin was exactly much of the boy wonder he once was. Short close-cut hair, and a chiseled jaw that clearly came from frowning, worrying, and yelling durring his detective-sprees. His shoulders were broader and his height had certainly changed as well, though Beast Boy was proud to have a few inches above his friend. Last they had been here, Robin had been eighteen, Beast Boy a year younger. And now, Robin was twenty-one, Beast Boy twenty. In other words, they were men.

Quietly, the red-clad hero tapped a light knuckle on a highly recognizable blue and white car, shining to a polished perfection.

"Well, it's nice to know this hasn't changed," grinned Robin, looking the T-Car once over, obviously nostalgic from the looks in his eyes. Or, mask covering them.

"Okay, Robin," Beast boy began, turning and crouching onto the balls of his feet, looking about to jump or spring, clearly trying to hold his excitement in. "I sorta understand why Bolt-brain's car might be exciting, but how about weeee...oh, I dunno, run upstairs and see 'em for real? For real?"

Robin chuckled, his friend's enthusiasm obviously starting to become too much to contain.

"Go on, B. Boy. I'll meet you up there in a second."

But even by the time he had finished talking, Beast Boy had left.

Rampant, hurried footsteps could be heard flying up every staircase, running through every hall, though sloppy sounding it was obvious the runner knew where he was going. Suddenly, Beast Boy's butterflies and tingles didn't seem as worrisome as before because of his heart pounding in his chest. The adrenaline, the excitement, the anticipation, the blood going through his veins and rushing through his ears as he hurdled into the living room and -

- and nothing.

No one was there. Though Beast Boy's chest was rising with a huff and puff, he though maybe everyone was on a bathroom break or something, or maybe his old friends slept in. Maybe they were hiding and about to say surprise? But as he looked, the once rambunctious green adolescent was suddenly peering for signs of life. He looked, desperately - no game on pause, in fact, the TV wasn't even on. There was no food residue on the counter, and Silkie's pet bed seemed to be untouched. It was as if a wind had blown through and carried any ghost of a living being out of the tower. Dejected, and a bit worried, Beast Boy crept forward. He was so certain, so positive that greetings would be as they had in the past: big, loud, and a little bit embarrassing. He dragged a white-gloved hand across the kitchen table where they would all eat together, and not even a speck could have transferred between the two surfaces. It was haunting, for a place that was once one man's life to feel so hollow. Pondering out of concern, he abandoned the already empty main room and darted for the left hall, thinking of Cyborg and Starfire's bedrooms.

Skidding to a halt at the first room, Beast Boy was not hesitant to knock loudly on the door, pounding his fists instead of respectfully knocking.

"Cy? Hey, Cyborg? Dude? Metal-Head? Lug-Nuts? You there? It's me! The one-and-the-only!"

But there was no response.

Suddenly, the changeling's heart started beating fast yet again, but not for the same excitement of before. But with fear instead. Fear they had forgotten. Fear they were ignoring him. Fear they were gone. Fear something was wrong. And with that fear, he abandoned his best friend's door, moving to Starfire's, this time knocking like normal. Except maybe louder.

"S-Starfire? Hey! It's your favorite lean-mean-green-kitten-CHANGIN'-machine!"

And with his promise, a sudden morph and there was a small, and fluffy green kitten pawing at the door labeled 'Starfire'. Mewling with a content tail-flick, the green feline waited for her to open the door and scoop him up into one of her many bone-crushing hugs. And so he waited.

And waited.  
And waited.

He changed back, a stunned look in his eyes, sitting on his behind with hands out in front. He stared at them, his small mind trying to figure out just what-the-heck was going on. Focused on finding at least one of his friends to talk to, the young man sprinted back into the main room and into the other hallway - where his and Raven room lay in wait. Fingers crossed that the grumpy, fowl-mouthed, wise, and depressing halfling was in her room meditating, Beast boy passed his own room, though curious to see what damage was left after his departure. It would have to wait.

"Raven? Please, Raven, don't tune me out!"

He didn't even bother to knock, though at this point it he realized it would've been wise of him to seeing as she would often beat him to a pulp in the past for lesser things. Pressing his ear against the door, he strained, he tried to listen, willed there to be some sort of noise in her sacred domain, and when nothing came, he pounded the door with expert fists.

"Raven! RAVEN!"

Nothing.

One of the first things to pop into his head: alien invasion.  
But, of course, one of his close friends is an alien, sort of ruling it out.  
So then that also rules out possessed robots or inter-dimensional crazy kidnappers.

Pounding a fist to his forehead, he slowly tried to calm himself from the crazy ideas spinning in his head. He felt anger building up inside himself, disappointment, shame. That he was not there for who he cared for and they could be in some serious trouble!

_What else should I do?_ he mused, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, forcing logical thought._ I could go back to Robin, but that'd freak him waaaaayyy out. Besides, I haven't looked all over the tower! This could be a...a misunderstanding. A prank! Yeah, Cy tryin' to pull a fast one on me. But no dice, I know all the tricks, new and old! He'd have to chase me in order to ge-_

And thus wide green eyes opened, his fingers snapping in a realization. A _chase_.  
Or rather, in his case, a _goose chase!_

This time, Beast Boy had a much better idea as to where to go, and where to look. Tapping on Raven's door with a grin, almost as in for good luck, he sprinted from there, racing to the stairwell that lead up. Up to the roof! This time his feet hit the ground with an expert precision, yet barely a sound or tremble coming from his lithe body could be heard. It was quite obvious that the morpher's three years away had paid off; if he wanted to concentrate, he could pull off anything. He climbed staircase after staircase, keeping his echos dull as his shoes were made to muffle sound and send it down, releasing minimal vibrations. To him, this was classic, Cyborg and his pals trying to scare him on his homecoming day, and upon reaching the rooftop door, he instead slowed and pressed his ear to the cold metal. Initially no sound was heard, not a word, but despite his squirmy nature, sitting still was worth it if he could thwart a certain metal ding-dong's idea of 'fun'. Minutes went by, and the air hung heavy. He was quiet. Waiting. Waiting quietly. Quietly waiting. And as the time grew on, he heard just the soft, muffled noise he needed to hear.

"...is it perhaps that friend Beast Boy has no intention of visiting the top of the roof?" spoke an innocent voice lightly, whispering without much success.

"ShhhhhshshshshhhhshSH!" came yet another unsuccessful attempted whisper.

_Too easy._

Morphing into a bright green cockroach, the bug-form of Beast Boy crawled under the slip of the door with a squeeze, popping out to the outer daylight. And there he saw each of three friends - no, four, as he counted Robin hiding near a filtering unit with a shadow. Immediately, he wanted to scream and call traitor on the hero, but thought otherwise. Continuing to crawl beyond his friends, the idea was to morph behind them into his human form, ruining their trick as their surprise is dulled with a surprise of his own. And just as he was reaching prime position for scaring, a gentle shadow fell over his insect exoskeleton. Antennae twitching, he waited for the shadow to pass.

It did not.

Peering up, he saw none other than a hooded cloaked figure, resembling the Raven he knew to a one-hundred-percent. He watched her staring without seeing her eyes, and wanted nothing more to scurry away at the terror of being trampled by her fancy blue boots. Yet as he prepped his green wings to fly, and looked away from her, the shadow dissipated, and there was not a sound of the cloaked girl revealing the bright green bug she had witnessed.

_Did she know?_ he puzzled, momentarily losing focus as his cockroach form had been scrutinized._ Maybe she's seen a green creepy roach like this before? In some weird demon spell book?_

_Well...whatever!_

And with his final thought he sprang from the ground, high for a cockroach, before changing into himself and landing with his feet apart. And for emphasis, he placed his hands on his hips, toothy grin wider than it's ever been.

"He's tough, he's hot, and most importantly, he's GREEN - ladies and gentlemen," he paused, bowing for effect as all his friends turned in surprised, as their eyes were all trained for the roof-top door.

"I have arri-"

"YO BB! Ha-ha, string-bean!"

"Oh, Beast Boy! Splendid!"

Before he could finish his lengthy and dramatic introduction, immediately there was a crushing hug from the Tamaran girl, her golden skin contrasting Beast Boy's own. Her soft cheek pressed to his as she smiled, threatening to possibly get her expression stuck that way. Her hair was now more curly than it had been before, getting caught between her and then young man's embrace. And as if an alien's super-strong hug wasn't enough, a second pair of arms wrapped around Starfire and Beast Boy, much bigger, longer and...cold! Cyborg, always ready to get in with some action, whatever it may be, joined in the group hug. He lifted the gold and green bodies off the ground with his massive bear hug, laughing out loud in the breathy way he did.

"Hoooo boy, Beast Boy!" he called out to the sky, before releasing the two and ruffling the forest-green hair more than it already was. Starfire too released her embrace, but stayed close to her old friend, attempting to fix the hair that had been carelessly tousled. Cyborg snorted more to himself before clasping a large, steely hand around his closest friend, "Boy, you have no idea how much we missed you. I mean, you COULD not believe just HOW different things got! But you're here now, so I say it's time to PARTY! Boo-YEAH!"

And Beast Boy, couldn't help but keep smiling, for once speechless as his deprived eyes took in the images of his friends so missed. As he correctly assumed, Starfire's long hair was now sporting a curlier look, draping over her back in a fiery cascade of ripples and curls that seemed to match her blazing personality. Her skin had turned more golden, as appropriate for her people, but it complemented her and her dazzling emerald eyes. She had evened out in the waist, her curves definitely more profound than three years ago, though her chest still modest. But as Beast Boy shot Robin a daring glance, he knew "boy" wonder wouldn't want her looking any other way.

Cyborg, on the other hand, had somehow gotten bigger. Though not too long ago Beast Boy had been gloating over the few inches he held over Robin, Cyborg held what looked to be a whole foot over Beast Boy. He was broader, and certainly stronger, as the circuits glowing pulsated with the power he had tamed to life over the years. His red, electronic eye, seemed to have not changed, which was a comfort - Beast Boy saw his friend in that face and eye, even if he had aged.

"Oh yes," Starfire nodded, pulling and laying the green hair where she thought best, using it as a way to stay close to her dearly missed comrade. "I do very much agree that some festivities shall be quite proper in commemorating this joyous return of our dearest friend, Beast Boy! Do you not agree, friend Raven?"

Beast Boy, who had been quite content basking in the attention he was receiving, turned on heel to face just who Starfire was addressing. His smile fell as the hovering form brought back memories of fights, screams, him running for what sometimes seemed his life, and hundreds of attempts at jokes that went unnoticed and without a smile. Yet Raven made no move to threaten him, mock him, or anything worth his worried thoughts. She just, floated. The changeling could not see her, for all he saw was a cloak, which had hardly changed from its appearance three years ago. It seemed longer, floating in an ethereal manner about the girl's hovering feet, the only piece of her body that could be properly seen. The hood rested in a widow's peak fashion, the center of it's opening dipping down in a spike that covered her nose. It was reminiscent of a beak - a Raven.

"...I guess," she muttered to Starfire, demeanor as careless sounding as usual. But this response only triggered a smile from Starfire, as expected.

Raven, instead of retreating back to background bliss and going unnoticed, hovered forward to the guest of honor. A navy gloved hand parted her cloak to reach out and offer a shake to beast boy, her arm hardly extending outward.

With a quiet voice, her murmur sounded near nonexistent, but Beast Boy's excellent ears picked up the sound just fine.

"Welcome home, Beast Boy..."

With a huge smile, and a gentle grip, he shook her hand with understanding that her tolerance for hugs and loud greetings was limited. But as he shook her hand, it felt almost non-existent.

"Oh! Hey, so Raven, what did one b-" he started, his expression excited and teasing.

"No," she chided, glowering and retracting her hand, turning and drifting to a rambunctious Starfire who had begun to descend the tower.

Beast Boy only chuckled and smiled.  
Yup, same old Raven.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**Raven eternally debates her emotions on the return of Beast Boy, reflecting on the past three years of her life without him. But when he suddenly comes to her for all the answers, she doesn't know how to treat him - can someone who had been dear to her and then disappeared still be considered a friend? And when he asks her to assist with the possible "threatening" task of unpacking his room, what will she do?**


	2. To Rethink

***** NOTE: Thank you for all the feedback and follows so far! It is very encouraging3 In this particular chapter there is a lot of references to earlier Teen Titans episodes, so please, if you notice something wrong, notify me. There is also lighter reference to Young Justice, so please feel free to correct me with anything mentioned there!**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - To Rethink**

**o0o0o0o0o**

She couldn't believe that he started off by trying to tell her a joke.

Well, she could believe, but really didn't want to.

After Beast Boy had attempted to rekindle a dimmed flame, Raven at this moment felt it was perfectly suitable for her blow it out. Following Starfire, the empath was straight-faced as her comrade chattered on about his height, his hair, his changes, and how nice it felt to have her close friend in company again. Raven, instead, drifted on, taxing mental energy as she did so. Whether Starfire was oblivious or not, Raven refused to let on how she, too, had been looking forward to reuniting with her friend. And while Beast Boy is what she saw and heard, she didn't feel it was him. He was different, and her usual grip on the world around the halfling was starting to slip.

"Dear Raven, would you find pleasure in assisting me with the cooking of the cake of angel's food? And the sugary paste that is frosted on top!"

Her voice was jubilant, and Raven politely declined. "I would Starfire, but I need to...meditate."

The Tamaran, on response, nodded - as they had grown, Raven's need for meditation was easy to understand.

With that, the cloaked heroine retreated to her room, the hiss of the sliding door allowing Raven to fully release. Little had changed in her room - the colors were still dark and books littered the floor, candles providing most light. Her mirror and magical artifacts were absent, though, as she found that leaving them in the open could result in unnecessary tampering. Not only that, but with Beast Boy on the prowl again throughout the tower, she wouldn't want him visiting places and talking with a certain bunch of 'emotions' that he happened to become well acquainted with in the past. In other words, she didn't want him messing with anything of hers. She had stored it away safely, though where she wouldn't mention to anyone. Sluggishly drifting over her bed, the young woman fell into her expert lotus position. Her hands softly pulled her hood down, her hands then resting open faced on her knees. It was relaxing to feel the chilled air resting in her palms, feeling near heavy as the meditation began to sink in.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

The voice at first seemed foreign, though Raven knew perfectly well that it belonged to her.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

She needed to clear her stress, empty her mind, focus on what was ailing her and cast it aside.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

She knew it was Beast Boy's return that bothered her, and Raven quietly delved into that pool of thought. Why was it so troubling? She was happy he was home, she was pleased he was unharmed and smiling. Her inner-eye searched deeper into herself, racing through her mind with the memories of the changeling. She remembered when they first met, and the mask that had hidden his face, that once off released his more daring side - he no longer called anyone sir, and no longer asked for orders. It was the first day they had acted as a team. He fought like an animal, a kangaroo most specifically, and she ran to his aid when he was cast aside. She remembered helping him to his feet, watching her new friends get carelessly tossed and thrown, and then her powers unleashed - it had set the control-deck to ruins. And yet, as they all gazed at their city from the island, he had not let her power scare him, and the young Raven had in fact called him funny.

_A mistake on my part_. She mused, before moving on to the next prominent memory.

This time, a craggy path and field, the sky a galaxy of noir and crimson. Could it possibly be that he heard something that changed his mind and isn't her friend anymore? But he seemed happy to see her, shaking her hand and respecting the space between them. That respect brought her back to the mirror and the day Cyborg and Beast Boy had found their way in and they had fought her rage - together. That was the day that she had promised friendship to Beast Boy, when it turned out their thoughts of each other were false. It was just a misunderstanding, and from that day on they had a healthy relationship, even if his humor caused some complications. And the moment when he even offered to do it her way: herbal tea. There was no doubt in her mind that he still thought of her as a friend.

_Then why do I feel so distant from him?_ Pondering, she went further, scanning the loom of her time with Beast Boy, checking for snags that could lead to her emotional struggle.

Maybe he was bitter, hurt, from memories of Jump City? Maybe his time with the Young Justice League had caused him to turn on his old friends? But within Raven's third eye she saw a flash of blonde hair, and blue eyes. Her heart seemed to sink to her stomach as all the times with Terra flashed through her mind and all the feelings that she had felt upon the girl's arrival - but then she moved on to Beast Boy and how he had felt. The cracking in his voice and the hurt in his eyes as he searched for the truth in his first love. The stone statue and his pain, it rang through her, and how he felt so sure Slade had manipulated the girl who laughed at his jokes and held his hand. But Terra was a traitor and he knew that, ruling out all possibility that her comrade would ever abandon his team, new or old.

Raven needed a moment to compose herself, lingering on the bittersweet images of the two misfits. Once her mind relaxed, the empath moved on gingerly.

Suddenly, her mind lurched as she reminisced on the feeling of metal hands pinning her to the ground, a slimy voice calling her 'feisty'. Adonis was gross that night, but watching Beast Boy destroy him as the damaging chemicals bathed them both had her perceive the young hero in a new light. Could it be possibly that he just didn't care anymore, and she could sense his change in emotion? This inner thought brought enough of a pang to her heart, and Raven could briefly hear a muffled item hitting her floor. It distracted her for a moment, but she carried on, looking back on the nights Beast Boy had truly become a beast - but to protect her. What she had told him was true, even as he worried about the monster he felt within his DNA: without him, she wouldn't be here right now. The image of Adonis as a beast caused shivers to run down her spine.

_I know he cares - I can feel it. He cares about us all._ She told herself, thinking harder. _Perhaps he is just older, and has just changed?_

But as the next memory revealed itself, she knew even that was too simple to be true. Thoughts of the Doom Patrol and the Brotherhood of Evil came about, the family and sworn enemies that the changeling had known in his youth. Those few days, weeks, months had matured Beast Boy immensely as he tried to prove himself to Mento and Rita, and as he made the fight against the Brain more personal than it had ever been. It was, as much as she had hated to admit it, astonishing to see the change in the green boy when the Doom Patrol's leader called for his help - he became a leader. He was serious, scared, and determined, but overall he was smart. But just because he changed then didn't mean she lost him, and that applied to the now. He may be older, but he's still the same Beast Boy.

Quietly, waiting for the next memory to appear, her thoughts on Beast Boy's leadership made her grin slightly._ I never really used that Garfield ammo, now did I?_

But the next memory made all happier thoughts diminish, and Raven could sense a lightbulb bursting out in the hall.

In her mind, she remembered the days when her team was whole, and then the day when Robin left to assist the Young Justice heros with his friend Speedy. She remembered life not being the same, things being quiet, things being empty. Starfire had been hit the worst, and the memories of back then were slow. She could remember consoling Star, unleashing more emotion than she had in years in order to help the Tamaran princess. But when Beast Boy received an invitation from the Young Justice League to join their team, all were shocked that he received it, and struck dumb when he decided to comply, slipping on a new red-and-white uniform. The three titans watched him leave, and no one felt quite right for a long time.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

_He left because I said it'd be good for him._

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

_He left because we would support anything he chose._

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

_He left because of me._

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

_He chose his fate._

"Azarath Metri..."

_But I didn't want him to leave._

Raven could feel the vibrations of her bookcase emptying.

Her open palms, which were once cool with the pressing air of her room, suddenly felt hot as she harbored the anger of irrational betrayal. She knew that Beast Boy never left to hurt her, or hurt anyone, but watching him walk pained more than she left on. First Robin, who always dreamed of higher places, but then Beast Boy? It had been like two fatal bullets had pierced her heart, the one true home she knew falling apart around her. Even with her friends back, it felt too good to be true. All Raven wanted was some assurance, something solid. No more friends leaving, but knowledge that the sun would rise tomorrow no matter what happened. Yet her life didn't feel that way, and as her meditation grew to a close, she still felt stirred emotions. Though her composure was back, at least the halfling knew why she felt so wary and irritable.

She felt her bottom and thighs settle into the cushion of her bed, and her wrists went limp as her mind connected with her body. Breathing heavy, she opened her indigo eyes to greet the comforting darkness that was her room. Breathe in, breathe out, filling her lungs with the life-giving air and finish her self-search completely. Raven glanced at the clock, noting it was about six o' clock - it had been five hours of deep meditation. It somewhat surprised her that such a trivial worry as Beast boy could cause her to do so much compressing of thoughts and feelings, but then again, there hadn't been much stress ailing her life recently. With a practiced hand, she raised her hood, drifting from bed to doorway. Within her mind, she set a plan of action: tea to relax, check on her friends, clean the dishes, go back to meditate yet again. Relax, friends, dishes, meditate - it was simple, and Raven liked simple.

* * *

When the young woman entered the main hall, it was blissfully charged with a happy energy, no doubt upon the return of Robin and Beast Boy. The said homecomers were situated on the couch with a happy Starfire floating above them, and a smiling Cyborg laxing on the couch beside the changeling. Raven to a deep breath and shifted to the kitchen, the serene energy causing her to feel peace. The tower's aura hadn't felt like this in a while, and she enjoyed it to the least. She soon was filling her tea-kettle, a wise ear attuned to her friends.

"Well, it started as a group of four - Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and I. It wasn't easy cooperating at first, but our driven goal of being heros made things fall into place pretty quickly. We became a more...'specialized' force in the Justice League. We also recruited Superboy, he was tricky, lemme tell you that. And of course there was Artemis and Zatanna..." Told Robin, recollecting the story of the Young Justice League's origin.

"Yeah," chimed Beast Boy, "And don't forget Miss Martian! She was the whole reason I joined the team..."

Raven couldn't help but stare at him as he said that, but of course, she wasn't the only one.

"Oooohhh, BB, you gotta girlfriend you haven't told us 'bout yet?" teased Cy, his foot playfully nudging his best friend's in the knee.

"The friend Cyborg asks an identical question as I," Star chirped, lowering to rest her hands on Beast Boy's shoulders. "By the way your voice altered from your feelings it must be an affectionate relationship, yes?"

Raven found herself scowling, irritated they had not wished to include her in the conversation, and yet again her mind filling with irrational doubt upon Beast Boy's care for the team. Above her head, the cabinet door harshly flung open, though nothing spilled out - a consequence of her rising anger. As her tea kettle began to whistle with the promise of the healing aroma and taste of tea, the halfling inwardly sighed as she attempted to tell herself that the thoughts she had were, well, just plain stupid. Her finger ran down the rows of tea she had, some loose leaf and others in bags, occupying her thoughts with the decision of what tea she should drink. Finger finally falling on a decaffeinated chai tea, she pulled a bag of the perfect blend to help relax in the late hours and fill her muscles with the relaxing warmth of exotic spices and herbs. She poured the hot water into a simple mug, dipping in the meshy bag twice before allowing it to brew. A dark aura engulfed the white mug, and it followed her as she joined her friends in their story-telling.

"No no, you guys have it all wrong! Megan...er, Miss Martian, she's like a sister to me! No, more than that, she is my sister! I never felt that close to somebody before, and by close I mean like a family. I mean, when I was young, she assisted my parents with the research that made m-" he paused as Raven came over, plastering a grin to his face as she sat on the coffee table with her mug in her hands. "Hey, Raven! You finally came to hear about my macho super-hero adventures?"

Her eyes were placid as she gazed at the green-guy in front of her. "Don't let me interrupt."

"Um," He blinked for a few seconds, and scratched his chin, "I uh...forgot...already..."

Raven, in response, rolled her eyes, bouncing the tea-bag in her mug with telekinesis. Soon the air around her smelled like the warmth of fall, the current season the city was celebrating. It smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg, of warm chili and ginger. She could smell the bustling markets of India and the heat of the Sahara Desert, and her eyes closed, savoring the feeling that came with simply the smell of her tea. Though she wasn't the only to take in the aroma of her warm drink, and though everyone else knew it was tea, Beast Boy's nose rose in the air.

"Whoa! Raven, are you cooking a pumpkin pie? Maybe Ginger bread cookies?" His chin lifted as he tried to pin-point the sent, clearly intending to eat whatever he found so delicious smelling. "Is it apple pie? Oh oh, maybe even snickerdoodles! Jeeze, Raven, since when did you know how to cook?! And what are you cooking anyways, you gotta t-"

"It's tea."

"...that's tea?!" The disappointment and surprise was clear on his face.

And in singular response, Raven only took a sip from her mug, enjoying a pleasure her friend couldn't understand.

The chatter continued and Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven filled both Raven and Robin about the things that happened on their leave from Jump City. It wasn't nearly as exciting as the duo's time in Happy Harbour, but at least the risk was minimal. Soon Raven was at the kitchen again, only cleaning her cup, and washing the dishes with a sponge before stacking them all where they belonged. It was now eight o' clock, and Starfire was leading Robin to his room, smitten to try and catch up on more personal things. Cyborg was doing a routine check of the tower's system and of the city, and unfortunately had to ask a rather hyper Beast Boy to give him the time he needed to finish his responsibility. Raven, knowing she had three of her four tasks completed from her mental list, started for the door. She walked, content in knowing she would be back to the comfort of her room and a proper meditation this night. But before she could enter to her hall, a tall green obstruction was in her way.

"Uhh, Raven?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes shifty with hope he didn't bother her.

"What?" She replied, voice dull and lacking interest.

"Well, uh, Cyborg is doing some techno-thing and...uh, if I'm going to have anywhere to sleep tonight, I'm going to need help unpacking!" Smiling wide, he gave a weak thumbs up to the empath. "Wanna help?"

She blinked, knowing this was certainly an unexcpected turn of events. But Raven had delayed, and all she could get out was a measly 'uhhh'.

"Great!" And before she had anyway to correct him of his misinterpretation, he was already running to his room.

Raven only sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was throwing a wedge in her needed time to ease her mind, but backing out now would be much too mean. Reluctantly, she followed the young man down the hall.

She stopped in his doorway, half-expecting to be greeted with a wall of stench that smelled like five-month dirty clothes and wet animals, a unique scent that was familiar only to this room. But instead she only smelled stale air of a room that hadn't been inhabited for a long time. She knew once Beast Boy left, Cyborg had practically bleached this room and painted the walls with air-freshener, but only time had removed the gross, sentimental memory of a grimy teenager from this room. She looked at a double bed placed where a bunk bed had once laid - Robin had called ahead and requested that something more appropriate be installed for a twenty year old.

"I know my bed-sheets are in one of these boxes," mumbled a busy Beast Boy, flinging clothes and knickknacks all over the floor with the intention of finding bedding. Soon after nearly beaming Raven's head with a pair of neon-green swim-trunks, the changeling removed a picture frame from one of the many boxes or his suitcase, peering at it fondly. On his desk, still there from long ago, Raven eyed a picture of the girl she presumed was Miss Martian hugging a wide-eyed and smiling Beast Boy. The empath couldn't help but feel a mild form of anger at the green-skinned girl for stealing her team away.

"Here we go!" chimed a perky Beast Boy, pulling out some green sheets, as Raven expected.

Soon the two were tucking and folding and patting and spreading, preparing a suitable bead for sleeping. Things went easier with the help of Raven's occasional power usage, and soon Beast Boy's room looked like, well, Beast Boy's room - he had already scattered clothes and comics and all sorts of other things on the floor, and his bed was ready for sleeping.

"There," Raven spoke as she flattened the last sheet, and Beast Boy smiled in return.

Raven, who found her friend's room to be very hot without the air circulating, lowered her hood to swipe a hand across her forehead and tuck her hair behind her ears. And then, with a quick flick of her wrist, her powers opened a window for her friend. Turning her to face him, the halfling was about to announce her departure to the changeling, only to find him staring at her. Not in a creepy way, and not in a mean way, just...staring. His green eyes were caught on her face, and she found that even as a cool breeze ruffled his hair, the young man barely noticed - in response Raven cleared her throat, glaring at him, and pulling up her hood to stop from any further strangeness.

"I'm going to my room," she muttered, drifting out. "I believe your empty head is causing you to zone out, because your eyes certainly showed no signs of life in there."

Raven's door was shut before she could hear him respond.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: Beast Boy couldn't even recognize Raven last night - and why isn't she talking to him as much as Starfire and Cyborg? His thoughts interrupt some training, but soon Beast Boy is showing off the moves and work-outs he learned while away. But will his cocky actions trigger anger in his mysterious teammate? And what happens when the Titans finally fight crime as a team in all these years?**


	3. To Pulsate

***** NOTE: Thank you thank you THANK YOU for all the feedback! It's been such a pleasant surprise,and it's so nice to read. I haven't replied to any of the comments - if you would like me to, please oh please tell me in this next chapter review! Also, I hope you enjoy my choice of villain for this chapter and the next I find him/her/it to be the most mysterious villain who actually is a little bit more twisted and 'evil' than many of the other Teen Titan enemies. Feedback is always welcome! :D**

**p.s. this fight in this chapter is only a minor arc in the story - the true mystery and fight will be much more puzzling and lengthy! Have fun looking forward to it~**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - To Pulsate**

**o0o0o0o0o**

Falling onto his bed seemed almost dream like, and his lime green eyes stared up at the ceiling, a triangle of light present from the open window. Beast Boy hadn't been expecting what he saw. Her compliance to help him with prepping his bed was a surprise enough - though admittedly the changeling had rushed her - and yet just something as simple as watching her pull down her hood was enough to send him speechless.

He sighed, running a hand through messy hair, attempting to push the image from his mind.

But it was a searing picture.

There she stood, arm raised and prepped, her thin fingers lingering towards the window. The breeze had instantly awoken the room, traveling up the extended arm and into her hair. It was long now, framing her face in dark billows, its length just barely threatening to touch her shoulders. Raven's hair was silky, and the moonlight glazed it over like raw and polished obsidian - sharp and dark. He wanted to touch it, feel how smooth it was, as the last time her hair had been short and cropped, practically lost against her relaxing eyes. The young man remembered how the night's light had made her skin glow, soft and smooth, though her lips promised no sign of a softening smile. Beast Boy wanted to tease those lips, tickle them into a grin, as the image he saw before him was seemingly imperfect without that smile. Without happiness. And yet, even without a grinning expression, she was enough to make his mind go blank.

She was beautiful.

Raven had matured he knew, but the once young lady he remembered had revealed to have grown into a spectacular beauty. Not beauty like Starfire - not turning all the heads, not an exotic seduction. No, the empath was tempting and mystic, a woman who would have you smitten just knowing that you could be in her presence. Beast Boy was indeed awed with his grown friend, absolutely speechless at her transformation he wasn't aware of. Her smooth jaw and dagger eyes, something that he had noticed but were somehow now _different_.

Once the girl was gone, the young man hadn't noticed she'd left, and when he came-to it was surprising not to see the cloaked figure shaming him for staring at her. But she had disappeared, leaving the now messy room still like a held breath, finally disturbed when Beast Boy had just drifted to his new bed.

"Wha," he breathed, attempting to logically piece his reaction, but his mind could only focus on how nice she had looked.

A knock on the door finally disturbed his train of thought, and the changeling's lazy voice carried to the door.

"Come in?"

Upon his approval, a light cyan glow flooded the walls, Cyborg entering. His red eye gazed at the mess now on the floor, and he chuckled with mild surprise.

"Damn, you sure picked up where you left off."

Beast Boy's reply was only a shrug.

The young robotic man looked quizzically at the green figure lying on the bed, then realized the sheets had been stretched and placed properly already. It was a pondering thought, seeing how Beast Boy had bugged Cyborg to no end to help the younger Titan ready his room, Cyborg only agreeing to help once he was finished with the routine system, tower, and city-wide search. Though he knew it was highly likely that a crime could be committed well after the city-search, it was only pre-emptive and cautionary. Two words Cyborg appreciated dearly. Yet even as the check had been a responsibility, the metal man had been a little excited to spend time with his pal. But with the task complete, he could only stare at his stationary friend.

"Did you already unpack?" Cyborg asked, his voice curious.

"Uhh..."

"Uh-huh. And did you do it yourself?"

"Uhh..."

Well of course you didn't," accused Cy, answering his own question, "Who helped you?"

"Um...R-"

"Raven?!"

Beast Boy nodded - Cyborg could always read his train for thought, and practically finish his sentences.

"Gee, well," muttered Cyborg, "That was sure...nice, of her?

The response was silence.

It was odd to have Beast Boy quiet for more than a few seconds, and Cyborg knew that only too well. His good eye squinted in an accusing way, wondering if something more had happened in the room than just a change of sheets - arguments and insults littered his hard-drive. Slowly, the tallest Titan walked to his friend's bed, sitting beside the changeling. A cold, metal finger prodded the white-and-red uniform, causing a flinch and mild grin from the boy beside him.

"Dude, you know my sides are ticklish," retorted Beast Boy, curling onto his side to protect the squishy flesh.

"Yeah, I know," replied the larger male, bringing his hand to rest back on his lap. "You just seem off, is all."

Beast Boy shrugged, "Imma bit tired s'all."

* * *

It was a cold shiver that woke up a certain green superhero, his response being only an initial stir: curling tighter, pulling blankets closer, a release of suppressed breath. The cold was so ridiculously foreign to him, a boy who grew up and fought crime all over Africa, that this sensation often was rare. His room in the tower and at Mount Justice were both warm and often stuffy with a more humid air. And yet at this moment in time, as glazed eyes greeted his dim room, the cold was cleansing to his lungs. Chilly as it was, the air woke him sooner, and soon the groggy changeling was sitting up in his bed, looking at the open window. He could see the sky - clear, crisp, sunny, and blindingly blue.

Beast Boy's smile engulfed him, wiping away the sleep on his face as he jumped out of bed.

Rummaging through an already stirred-up suitcase, a green hand pulled the stretchy material of his newest uniform - white and purple, reminiscent of his old Titans and Doom ensemble, but also of his time with the League. It was the right combination of_ him_ - his personality, his life, and of course his body. It only took moments to change into it, smoothing down the fabric with only a few pats, some hands ran through his hair - all the simplistic preparedness he needed.

"Dang," he whispered, staring at his reflection on the gleam of his window. Pulling his shoulders back and his hips forward, the grin on his face was anything but humble. "I look GOOD!"

Finally complete with his self-admiration, Beast Boy exited his room. For a moment the polished hallway startled him - the changeling was expecting the cool concrete of Mount Justice. But the small falter was recovered quickly and soon the young man was jogging down the halls. His feet were bare. Why wear shoes to breakfast?

Entering the common room brought a sudden blindness as the large windows held the picturesque view of a perfect ocean and sky. The rippling waters below reflected the hot San Francisco sun, and though it was autumn, Beast Boy was quite sure that this particular day would be more hot than usual. Despite the promise of heat, he smiled and went to the window, hands pressing against the warming glass, nose just slightly pressed to the glass. He was here in the tower, in the city, with his friends, but the young man still only felt excitement in the pit of his stomach. It was enough that he couldn't stop smiling, even with no one to smile at.

Though speaking of stomach, the changeling's suddenly protested with an aching gurgle, causing him to press his forehead into the window.

_No one else is up yet, BB!_ he mentally consulted. Despite being a late sleeper, time changes could even throw the most hardcore dreamers, including Beast Boy. Going from East Coast to West Coast was a total of losing four hours, and the hungry hero was shocked to see it was six 'o clock in the morning. With a scowl on his face and one hand rubbing the back of his neck, he started for the fridge with high hopes of finding some sort of staple breakfast he could prepare that followed his vegetarian habits. It was true, Beast Boy could just eat cereal, but someone his age with high metabolism and needing enough calories to feed an elephant, cereal certainly wouldn't be enough for a first day back on the job. Though to his disgust he saw eggs, bacon, ham, and all other sorts of horrendous food choices, only resulting in his stomach rumbling louder.

"Ohhhh, come on!" he whined, rummaging through leftover Chinese and something bright and pink that was certainly Starfire's. "Isn't there anything to eat?!"

"Maybe if you weren't so picky."

Beast Boy halted, his crouched form peeking over the refrigerator door to find the source of the voice her heard. Seeing no one, he shrugged, turning back to the fridge, only to see a signature blue cloak now obtaining the vision to his left.

"R-Raven!" Immediately he stood upright, slamming the fridge door, both hands giving the girl wary thumbs-up. "Mornin'! I didn't realize you got up this early..."

In response the empath only stooped low to retrieve a tea kettle, following by filling the stainless steel with tap water. The sound of it made Beast Boy's stomach growl again, and hence he grumbled.

"You don't, uh, happen to know where tofu is?" He asked hopefully, a hopeful smile filling his face. But Raven didn't even turn to look at him.

"Cyborg threw it all out after you left."

"Aw, come on!" The green boy dramatically flung himself at the table, flopping down into a chair near Raven. He pouted at the floor, and then attempted to think of an alternate source of energy for the day, his bare foot tapping against the kitchen tile. Whilst pondering, the young man shot a quick glance to the other near him. Her hood was drawn up, and without seeing her face, it seemed she was easier to talk to. Swallowing dryly, thoughts of food suddenly turned to thoughts of her image last night. Was that really the same Raven he had known - bitter, reclusive, and the most caring of them all? Here she was, an arms length away, and yet there were no signs she even cared he was near. The day before, when everyone was eager to hear from him, she barely said a word, hadn't even asked him how he was. All she really said was 'welcome home' - and now she only bluntly replied to his hopeful questions. And yet last night she had seemed different, as if he could confide anything in her, and she would listen to every word. It was puzzling, perplexing, and it gave a certain green hero a headache. He pressed his hand to his forehead and sighed, knowing all too well that he was thinking oddly.

_Well, Starfire is beautiful too._ He mused internally, his eyes intently staring at a crumb caught in a crevice between two white tiles._ And so is Raven! They're both pretty - all super-girls are. Heck, ALL girls are! I'm just surprised on how she's grown up. Yeah! That's all!_

"Uhh...Beast Boy?"

His green head snapped up, startled in the fact that he had been caught off guard, and more startled that the exact plague of his thoughts was addressing him.

"Huh, wha?" He asked, looking up at Raven, trying to find he eyes under her hood.

"I've been saying your name over and over for the past three minutes." She answered, scrutinizing the changeling from where she stood, before pouring her piping water into a mug.

Beast Boy blinked, and grinned in a sheepish manner. He forgot just how attentive his comrade was. "Uh...sorry?"

"Sure," she mumbled, voice dry, before turning back to the changeling with a hand on her hip. "I was trying to ask if you'd like me to use my extra hot water to make you something to eat, since your fine motor skills are still currently sleeping on the other side of the country."

Beast Boy could feel himself nodding 'yes', and as she turned to face the kettle, he himself turned so his back was to hers. His hand covered his mouth as he furiously tried to suppress a blush, but yet another image seared in his mind. Raven, by placing her hand on her hip, had opened her cloak just enough for the changeling to see how else the halfling had grown. Her figure had been curvy before, but with a superhero needing training every day, the lean muscle Raven had built was soft and it complemented her. Legs were long, her stomach soft with the promise of toned muscles sheltered underneath, and her chest was certainly plentiful for her age. It, yet again, left Beast Boy speechless.

_Okay, okay, okayokayokayyyy! Not right, Garfield, this is NOT right!_ Panicking, the changeling bit his inner cheek, patting his jaw in hopes the heat he felt would disappear. _She's a friend, a friend! This is what happens when girls grow up, they change, yeah? I mean, she's always been pretty in her own way, and now she's just smokin' hot in her own way! No big deal!_

Thankfully, his thoughts were interrupted by a threatening growl.  
From his stomach.

Just as he was going to open his mouth to complain yet again about food, a steaming bowl was placed in front of him with a pale, ashen hand, and then a plate of sliced apples and oranges followed suit. Upon closer inspection he realized the bowl was filled with oatmeal, and with his expert nose he identified a mix-in of brown sugar. It looked edible if not tasty, and he smiled wide as he looked up at his chef, who was sitting in front of him with her cup of tea.

"Thanks, Rae!" He managed to speak around a spoonful of warm, gooey oats - the simple pleasure of food made his mind go blank of his previous infatuated thoughts.

"Manners," was what she reminded him, sipping her tea as the green hero managed to slow his ravenous eating. "And don't call me that."

Soon the bowl and mug were empty, and Beast Boy immediately rose to take them both to the sink. It was the least he could do after she cooked for him, even if it was a simple meal. Raven made no move to stop him, and soon the changeling was enjoying the feeling of cold water falling over his hands.

"Just so you know," the empath began, her voice suddenly much further away from the table. "Robin wants us down for training in an hour."

And as he turned to reply, wiping his damp hands on his chest, the girl was gone.

* * *

Pebbles crunched underfoot as Beast Boy walked outside, the sun heating his skin. His guess from earlier was right, and the heat had certainly increased, giving all the Titans a sheen to their faces as they stood together. Once Raven had announced that Robin was calling for training, it took only seconds for him to put shoes on his feet and start his way down to the obstacle course. Despite the sweltering temperature, a warm sea breeze lazily made its way across the island. Lifting his chin to catch the best of the breeze, the changeling inhaled the salty sent with a grin, before turning his attention to the group leader.

"Alright, Team," began Robin, standing by the course like old times, looking up to the control deck. With a coy smile he pulled a small trigger button from his utility belt, his finger hovering over the red button. "Though I believe we've all been keeping up with routine practice and training, working together as a team of five is certainly rusty."

Everyone, though not entirely with equal enthusiasm, nodded in agreement.

"It's very important that we try to understand each other as best as possible and work together, not five heroes working on their own. So today's obstacle course shall be run," and he paused, finally pressing the red button.

"Together."

Suddenly, with a whir of mechanical life and electricity pulsating through the ground, series of blockades erupted from the earth. The entire ground suddenly seeped with fog and, as the Titans looked further, blood-red lasers weaved their way through the seeping ground clouds. Hidden on the edge of the course were small turrets, immediately recognized as the weapon that would shoot explosive discs upon an enemy coming within close range. And of course, as three of the Titans had the gift of flight, the air above them couldn't be much easier either. Large, long titanium tentacles pulsated out of the ground, the top of their writhing mass mounted with razor-sharp claws - which were also equipped with an electric touch. As Beast Boy watched the scene before him transform, he counted eight turrets and five tentacles, and the number of lasers was far too many to place. But as Robin equipped his nimble staff, the changeling crouched into his stance. He could feel his blood rushing, his heart pounding, the souls of millions of different animals calling him from the furthest reaches of his DNA. All he had to do, was choose.

"Titans, GO!"

It was a blur.

Adrenaline, of course, made things hard to recount, but with Robin's first word Beast Boy had channeled a gazelle. His nimble legs expertly placed all the gaps between lasers, as Raven and Starfire handled tentacles, and Robin and Cyborg handled the immediate turrets, he would handle the ones in the furthest back. Only too quickly did the green gazelle reach the sensor-range for the turrets and they locked on, immediately shooting a small army of disks to the green creature. Timing excellent, he jumped, only to land as an elephant and crush two of the eight turrets. Beast Boy was pleased.

Quickly, out of his range of vision, a sudden crackling launched towards the green pachyderm - a tentacle diving in for a strike. As an elephant, the hero had no time to move, and changing into another animal would take up all time of escape. But with determination the elephant suddenly became a triceratops, ready to take the claw head on.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

And then a wave of chilling dark sliced through the ancient, green creature's line of vision. The tip of the tentacle was now acquainted with the dirt, and the rest of it's body twitched drastically before lying limp on the ground. As he pieced together what had just happened, Beast Boy could make out a rather drab voice scolding him from above.

"We're supposed to be working together, moron," Raven chided. "Now wake up!"

In response, the green triceratops snorted and scraped a front foot into the dry dirt. He wanted to move her out of the way, tell her to mind her own, but what the halfling had said was right - they were a team, no matter how aggravating it could be, and needed to work with each other and not on their own. Within seconds, the five adolescents were back to back to back, finishing the rest of their course. Beast Boy, turning to his human state, decided to finish the rest of this training with hand-to-hand combat. He ducked, he weaved, and when his right hand manifested as a large bear-paw ready to kill the last of the turrets, everything froze.

Then suddenly a siren, blaring, and glowing red. An alarm.

Cyborg immediately tapped into the tower main-frame, his left forearm suddenly becoming a warning screen. His heavy breath from training suddenly hitched, turning to Robin as his once metal hand became a familiar sonic cannon.

"It's Kardiac, Rob," he rushed, the red hero's jaw immediately clenching. "One hostage, and headed to Jump Emergency Rush. The hospital."

"Look's like training will have to wait," he hissed, turning to Raven. "Do you thi-"

"On it."

Before one and one could make two for Beast boy, a chill pooled at his feet, like that of your feet standing in the dewy grass at dawn - but there was no grass. Darkness enveloped the five and his green eyes could just barely make out the outline of a large bird's silhouette. The transportation of here to there was normally acquired with wings by the changeling, but teleportation was a foreign mode for him. Cocooned in the darkness, he new the actual time for the team to arrive at the hospital would take only seconds, but the feeling of this force made it seem like hours. Everything was dark, and it was cool. Not uncomfortable, but the feeling of simply being was practically all that could be felt - only you and nothing else. And to this green hero, well, that choking feeling of existence was almost too much at times. The feeling of loneliness and lack of purpose was dangerously thrilling, and he ached throughout the magical process.

But the second he opened his eyes, all that could be seen was blue skies and a tall cement structure reeking of polished halls and disinfected, heavy air.

It took a moment to adjust.

"Now, what would the Kardiac villain wish to achieve here?" Starfire asked, quickest to recover after Raven herself. "Does he not choose victims far from the city? And also ones of perfectly adequate health?"

Robin, in response nodded, his thoughts similar. "If he gets a sick victim, it will make him harder to attack, but even a robot like that couldn't stoop so low. Even so, we gotta split up. Starfire, come with me. Raven, go with Beast Boy - his performance in training shows he needs to learn to work with you again. Cy, are you fine alone?"

The cybernetic hero nodded, jabbing an aluminum thumb to the doorway of the emergency center. "I'm going to tap into the cameras and alert the staff - any kid walking through those doors or already inside will be safe with me."

Robin gave his approval, and looked to the Tamaran girl as their silver and blue comrade went running. "Star, you and I are going to tag-team on the hospitalized children in their rooms. Raven, Beast Boy, go cover the woman, children, and infants wing - they'll be the most fragile and you two are both specialized for minimal interior damage. Keep them safe."

Beast Boy only transfigured into a jack-rabbit, his nose twitching once before bounding around to the back of the hospital. He knew Raven would be in hot pursuit, but the sooner one of them got there, the better. As he neared the entrance, his eyes caught the gleam of a sign labeling just what was harbored in this section of the large building - Maternity Ward, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Neonatal Intensive Care. His tall, furry ears could just barely pick up sound from inside its walls, but he could sense many heartbeats - strong ones, weak ones, fast and slow ones, and some that were in sync with another, not yet born into the world. A sudden urge to rip the mechanical heart released within his mind by the time Raven was beside him - he was back in human form. She, too, stared at the sign.

Her voice, though still dull, was thick with the emotion he too was feeling. "This is sick."

"Yeah," he mumbled, his fists clenching at his sides. "But just you wait, if that shitty piece of tin shows it's face, then he'll be sorry."

They only walked in silence after that. There were many odd stares as the duo entered the main receiving plaza, many young women and their families staring at the superheroes with awe, respect, surprise - and fear. As they knew, wherever heroes went, danger followed. When Beast Boy explained the situation, it was clear the new and expecting mothers were panicking, but Raven managed to soothe them as she explained their arrival was pre-villain attack. Their presence was for security and they planned to stop the massive mechanical organ well before he managed to touch any child in the building. After the changeling and halfling's message was delivered, the hospital staff immediately went to work securing all citizens. Soon it was empty, the tense aura waiting to be broken by an erratic heartbeat.

"So, got a plan?" Raven finally broke the silence, facing her partner. "Y'know, seeing as you were part of the mighty 'League', you must be totally calm and cool in this situation."

Beast Boy shot a look at her, his jaw and lip protruding forward slightly - her sarcasm wasn't really arriving with good timing. "Well...uh, um...we start by being serious!"

"Hearing that from you almost makes me laugh," she muttered. "Almost."

The green hero turned to the blue one, a frown on his face. "Hey, come on, I'm trying!"

"Try harder," she mumbled, and the changeling could've sworn he felt her chilly gaze on his.

With the intent of retorting the girl yet again, something in him made him pause - instincts, maybe, or possibly a sensitive tremor or sound that could only be identified by his acute senses. Upon his reaction, Raven stiffened, her cloak shifting as she too channeled her energy to search the area. Everything was quiet, and there was minimal waves of emotions throughout the hospital. But there was a more prominent one, growing closer - paralyzing fear. The green hero sensed it too, and within seconds he became a bat, ears extended and mouth open to catch what he could. Luckily, the hospital was designed to rebound sound, and just the sound of a whimper and a slithering, metallic heartbeat was enough to trigger a screech of warning from the flapping green creature. He bolted forward, with the halfling behind him in hot pursuit, her hands surrounded with a black energy to open all the intervening doorways.

Both of their pulses raced as they flew to the Maternity Ward.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**It's quite clear that Raven and Beast Boy are currently on frustrating terms, but they will try to put it aside to fight Kardiac and keep the newborns safe. Raven will see a new side to her comrade that she's never seen during this fight, but what will her reaction be? How will the other Titans react to the fight? Afterwards, Raven decides to have a truthful discussion with her comrade - but will it be one-hundred percent truthful? And will the author always end her chapters with mild cliff-hangers? Stay tuned for Chapter Four of Love Sick - To Admire!**


	4. To Admire

***** NOTE: Here's chapter four! I won't lie when I say that this chapter was a little more difficult. I wanted to foreshadow some things (hehehe) and I also had a little bit of block ast to how to go about it. All in all, I think it turned out okay! More reviews will only make me better, so more more more please! It makes me so happy to read everyone's thoughts, even if it's as simple as "next chapter please"! So thank you, and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - To Admire**

**o0o0o0o0o**

The longer they ran, the louder her footsteps seemed to become, and the lingering paranoia in the air slashed at the empath's tender emotions. After the lighting dimmed in the secure hospital wing, Raven turned to flying, her feet lifting off the ground, her eyes trained on a green vampire bat leading the way. Her comrade had rang the alarm of Kardiac's arrival, though she believed both of their senses picked him - or it - up; Beast Boy's specialized senses must have caught a sound, and Raven could feel a rolling trail of fear coming from their enemy.

The fear she felt was not a mild scare nor a panicked misinterpretation but a traumatizing terror that could render any man, woman, or child scarred.  
The heroine was having trouble containing her anger at these thoughts.

Kardiac was, and still is, one of the hardest villains to detain and keep at bay. It was simply for the reason that the massive, metal organ revealed no motive nor master, and the Titans had trouble every time it made a move. Every attack a victim was ensnared as a hostage, and said hostage was always young - younger than ten. Many close calls were made, as fighting something that kept a precious life at it's center was difficult, and Raven could only frown as she forced herself to remember the times she would try to heal a child's mind as cuts or snapped limbs would be awaiting more proper medical attention. When it came to Kardiac on his own, the being was weak, but it's methods of survival were sick and many families would relocate to safer cities because of its actions - some with a child beyond repair. And yet this villain returned and returned, angering every being that knew his name.

Lost in her thoughts, the blue-cloaked girl forced a halt on her flying, noticing a fork in the path which she and Beast Boy were traveling. Beast Boy was still a bat, wings flapping to keep him at a level position as he attempted to pick up more sound waves of the mechanical menace. But too long had passed with no results, and the bat soon became a man, and he turned to Raven with troubled eyes.

"He's silent - I don't know where to go."

His voice contained concern, but Raven's own worry didn't hinder as she cast a mental net over the area. Fear, fear was what she was tracing, the delicate fear of a little girl who might never see her mother and father again. Finding the trail was easy, but if a certain green hero could look into his comrade's eyes, he would catch the young lady exposing a near tearful expression.

"This way," she whispered, not a sound made as her body began trailing through the air, towards Kardiac.

She felt her partner transform again, and a quick look behind her revealed a barn owl, green, and silent as the void.

The seconds that passed seemed like hours, but soon a red glow could be seen filtering under a set of double doors. Within her cloak Raven caught the owl that was about to keep flying right on through, and quite a protest of wings and feathers proceeded (though not a sound uttered). Seconds later a very disgruntled Beast Boy looked desperately at his captor, gesturing to the doors with a fist - he fully intended to barge right in and kick some tail. Raven, instead hushed his antics with an eerie finger to her lips, slowly rising to peer through one of the square windows on the door. Following her actions, the green changeling beside her rose to look as well. Had this situation be funny, the shocked expression on his face might have been amusing. But as Raven pressed a button to her communicator to send a silent alert to the rest of the team, she knew this situation was no laughing matter.

Kardiac had perched himself in the center hallway, three of his large, titanium vacuums supporting him like tentacles. The red glow from his glass shell was cast all about the area, turning the shiny metal a sickly crimson - the shade that could be associated with rage. The fourth tentacle was seemingly examining a door, obviously unaware as to how to open one without causing damage. But his reason to do so had a motive, for what lay beyond that door was a precious cargo that it mustn't harm. Rows and rows of small cradles protected slumbering infants, some wrapped in blue and others in pink. Their little red faces slept with ease, unaware of the danger looming behind the glass. Not one was stirring, but as soon as that door came undone, the evil heart would bombard them and take them, leaving him invisible - for attacking a vessel carrying such innocent new life would be near impossible, even for the best of superheroes. Soon her green comrade motioned to the corner of the room, where a pile of chairs and tables were heaped, and on the bottom, two doctors and five nurses either dead or unconscious. They had been too late to save the infants.

Then another wave of fear hit the hooded-hero's mind, and she focused her vision back to Kardiac, peering into his hollow heart which was unfortunately not hollow. A young girl, five or possibly six, curled herself against the side of her red prison, eyes staring at the moving vacuum. She stared at the tube, her whimpers soundless with pure fear. Tears had long since stopped falling down her cheeks, but her eyes were glazed. Raven watched as Beast Boy's hand went to touch the glass, to try and get her attention and bring hope to her, but it was clear the child was in shock.

The two felt ill, their stomachs twisting, fists clenching.

Raven crouched back down, a hand tapping at the ground as she thought. Her instincts told her that waiting for the team would be too late, and her mind told her that most plans of attack would be futile. Either risk the girl or the infants - heart racing, she didn't want to admit that there was no good plan to think of.

To her surprise, a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Everything will be fine," Beast Boy whispered, giving her an optimistic grin. He crouched to her level and began to format a game plan, and Raven couldn't help but admire his blind hope.

"Hey, as long as the babies stay inside their lil' room they'll be fine," he murmured, pointing a finger to the doors they will soon open. "If I can get inside of Kardiac, I could transform and break him inside-out to bits! Or, if that doesn't work, I could at least try to get the kid outta there. Then we dismantle him, and keep him away from the babies - easy!"

Her voice was barely audible. "You underestimate it."

"No, he underestimates us!" The green figure across from her smiled dangerously, before giving her a thumbs up - as they finally shared a nod, they both pushed open the doors to be swathed in red light.

Raven immediately took to the air and Beast Boy stood his ground, snapping a finger and raising his voice to bring attention to the massive metal heart.

"Yo, clogged artery! You're in the wrong hospital wing for heart attacks!"

Kardiac obviously heard the boy due to the fact that he abandoned his attempt at opening the nursery door. Raven immediately descended in front of that door, her eyes white and hands delved in a black aura that signified her preparation to fight. Now ready, the green changeling leapt forward and morphed into an alligator, jaws wide with the intent to snap one of the metal tubes in two. Immediately the targeted leg switched 'on' and sucked the green gator into his holding capacity. When her comrade entered the chamber as his human self, Raven felt confused, though she watched as the little girl within cowered at the sight of the green superhero. She watched as he knelt to her, but did not lay a finger on her curly head, as her fear depleted slightly at whatever words he spoke. His eyes were soft and the empath couldn't help but wonder at the superhero she thought she knew - Beast Boy would panic, Beast Boy would crack a joke on deaf ears, Beast Boy would attempt to console a child but then leave it to someone more adequate - he couldn't find the right words to communicate. And yet here, and now, she saw someone who knew how to face a more dangerous situation with a level head - and her mind couldn't compute.

"Raven! Earth to Raven, look out!"

His hand's pressed to the glass as he attempted to warn his partner, and Raven snapped back to reality just in time to see a long vacuum prepping to add her to the collection of victims it held. With daft hands and a quick mind, from the rubble pile that trapped numerous hospital employees the halfling engulfed a large metal desk in her aura, crumpling it under forced pressure. Just as the leg was about to switch 'on', she plugged it, stuffing the leg with the make-shift cork. As Raven attempted to reduce damage to the wing and guard the infant's room, Beast Boy's fists attempted to break the glass, and then the claws of a lion, the horn of a rhino, and finally the beak of a woodpecker. All he managed to do was scratch the glass, and the red glare was starting to confuse his vision. Raven yet again watched her partner do something uncharacteristic of his mode in battle - he did not worry nor panic at the strength of the glass before him. But her mild distraction caught her off guard and one of the clear vacuums knocked her to the ground, a shudder breathing throughout the hospital. Yet the swaddled infants remained calm in their secure room, though maybe a few stirred.

She sat up, her hood lowered around her shoulders as a hand cradled her now aching head. That hurt, and inwardly Raven scolded herself for becoming distracted. Though her teammate had changed much, was it really so surprising? The empath found it hard to believe that he of all people was able to drift her attention from the important to the measly, and it made her head hurt more than with just the ache of a villain's blow. Her dizzy eyes watched, but did not compute, as Kardiac returned to the door of the nursery, trying time and time again to turn the latch of the door. Her foggy mind seemed to notice that a greenish man from inside the heart was pointing frantically at the door that lead to the newborns, but it just didn't register. But as she felt a click resonate and a sudden wave of emotion coming from little minds, Raven finally caught a beam of white light cutting through the red as the evil kidnapper managed to open the barrier to his little bundles of get-out-of-jail free cards. The infants started to stir as they heard a loud, cold and metallic beat, similar to the sound that they could recognize from inside their mother's chest - but it was unfamiliar and terrifying compared to the comforting rhythm they loved.

Empowered with the anger she felt at Kardiac's success, she rose from what little rubble she had been smashed into, her eyes threateningly white.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The door he was about to enter slammed, and an angry slur of gears could be made from the heart as he was raised from the ground by a black, cold aura. Within her mind she tugged at every limb, at every crevice within its build, and was near ready to rip the thing to shreds. But a scream and shout from inside the center cavity made her pause, hesitate. She locked eyes with her comrade and calmed, watching to see his plan of action.

With the time he had before Raven would tire of her hold on Kardiac, Beast Boy sprang into action, plucking the little girl into his arms as if to protect her from a fire blast. And as she was protected by his chest and true heart, the green hero transfigured into a whale. His back and head and tail pressed against the red glass walls, a whale's whistle alerting of the immense pressure he was under. Second later, the cavity shattered, and Raven dashed forward to cover the now-human changeling and teary-eyed child with a protective barrier.

"See? Broke him to bits," he grinned, too happy for Raven's appreciation.

Her eyes immediately went down to the six-year-old girl, who was now trembling and staring at the ground with wide eyes - Raven noticed that they were bright blue. One of her hands clutched to Beast Boy's uniform, but it was obvious to see that her grip was weak. The two, halfling and changeling, looked down at her with concern as police and attendants trickled into the room, as they must have been monitoring the fight on hospital security cameras. It was announced that all the newborns were safe and none were missing, though there was grief and worry at the sight of the mangled doctors and nurses who had attempted to rescue the infants.

"Raven, we need to go," Beast Boy whispered, gently shaking the girl he protected, his face confused at to why she wasn't doing, well, anything.

Raven sighed, and instead of casting a glare at her comrade for his ignorance, lifted a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind the girl's ear. "Beast Boy, she's in shock. She needs help."

When she looked to him for a response, she was only met with another confused expression. One exasperated huff and Raven was standing, slipping a Titan communicator from her belt to speak with Robin or Cyborg to contact the girl's parents on how they should proceed. This girl's pulse was low and her features were pale - definitely her body was shutting down from fear. She popped open the lid and was about to hit the call button, when a whining noise beside her made her pause, turning to look.

Beast Boy was no longer Beast Boy but a green labrador dog, his tail wagging slowly as he maneuvered to be in front of the little girl. Raven's left brow rose, but then she noticed the design of a puppy on the child's t-shirt. Indigo eyes watched on as the dog whined again, his cool nose nudging her tiny chin. He buried his soft head into her chest, even barked at her once, with slow progress the little girl's blue eyes focused on the dog in front of her. Raven, acting quickly, snapped her communicator shut as the terrorized child came to and hugged on to the green labrador's fluffy neck, her sobs and tears and screams coming in waves. Her cloak like a blanket, Raven draped it around the crying figure, arm drawing the tiny body to the warmth inside the blue fabric. Beast Boy, worried, stayed as a dog and close to the girl, as her cries let out the emotion she held in for so long. Raven was pleased to see red returning to the girl's face though only because it meant blood was flowing in her body properly, and thus ridding the shock.

As the child calmed down, the dog licked a few of her final tears, before finally turning back to his human form. The look on his face was bittersweet, as he was happy to see her reacting to the environment again, but sad to see such an innocent girl so torn. Quietly, as the little girl's sobs turned to hiccups, Raven rested a hand to the child's temple. A blue aura licked the slender fingers and caressed the little one's wispy brown hair, and the empath slowly tried to repair and heal a broken mind. It was delicate work, erasing some memories and dimming others, trying to eliminate damage without creating more.

She felt their presence before she heard them.

"Good job, team. Kardiac is going to be shipped to S.T.A.R labs for further research on his origin and creator, so we can celebrate tonight," spoke Robin, easily breezing past Raven and Beast Boy, kneeling at the remains of the exploded metal heart. He picked up some of the red glass and deposited in one of his own personal lab bags - clearly Robin would like to do a little research of his own.

Cyborg walked forward and picked up a now rising Beast Boy, the squeeze a little more than tight as the green hero struggled for air. "Ha-ha yeah! You hear that? I'm thinking meat lover's pizza with extra bacon. You two in?"

He placed his green friend back on the ground, fully expecting to be nagged at for bringing up meat around the vegetarian. But as he watched his teammate's gaze travel back to a now sleeping girl, his face fell as they remembered the original summary of their mission - 'one hostage, and headed to Jump Emergency Rush'.

His large feet were surprisingly quiet as he scoot closer to Raven, peering down at the little girl in her arms. "This is who Kardiac was holdin'? Man..."

Starfire, too, positioned herself above Raven, her golden hand lowering to brush the air above the victim's forehead. "The poor child...can we not return her to her family now?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy chimed in, his mind returning from a fog. "She needs to get home. I think Raven helped her out with healy-powers or somethin', so she should be good now."

Robin, who finally finished collecting evidence, displayed a tiny map on his communicator instead of speak. The five rose in unison, explaining their motive to return the girl to her family, and left without the police complaining a bit. The cloaked heroine continued to carry the child, which needed two hands to properly commit to and therefore she could not pull up her hood. All of her friends noticed the look of worry in her eyes, though her expression remained the same, and Raven was grateful no one asked how she was.

The flight to this girl's home did not take long and soon they were standing in front of a normal suburban home. Though this particular home had two police vehicles positioned out front and a van from the local news station interviewing a middle-aged couple with tears in their eyes and choked voices. It could not have been more obvious that they were the parents of the girl took victim. As the Titans descended, the woman who could be assumed the mother looked at them with a mingled coupling of shock, fear, and hope. To the heroes she ran, screaming out:

"Faith!"

Raven blinked - either that was the girl's name or the mother was religiously devout.

But as the woman came to Raven, who was the least approached of all the Titans, she knew that the sleeping girl in her arms and crying mother were related. They both had the same deep blue eyes. Carefully handing the girl to the crying mother's arms, she felt the relief that emanated from the feelings of all around her - the mother and father, the police, and even the reporters who often never cared about anyone as long as they just got a good scoop. It left the halfling exhausted from all of the emotion, and she crept back as Beast Boy explained everything to Faith's mom. Robin and Cyborg explained the situation to the police and the man that was introduced as Faith's father. Though he tried to appear tough, the red in his eyes made it clear that he too cried over the fear and worry for his daughter.

Raven, too tried to appear tough, as she drew up her hood.

Why did emotions have to be so painful?

* * *

The five sat around a familiar table, the night air cool in their hair and various chatter making for pleasant ambient noise. Over speakers one heard popular music playing from the radio, but it wasn't loud enough to mask the happy atmosphere. At a table off to the right of the scene, five young adults were just delivered a deluxe extra-cheesy pizza, and already everyone was digging in. It had taken time for the heroes to regain an appetite after the emotional encounter with Faith and her family, but once everyone had time to comprehend the situation they knew in the end it had been a good night. They had saved precious lives from being stolen from their families, and that's what truly mattered at the end of the mission. Raven and Beast Boy were surely the most irked, but a slice of pizza and glass of bubbly soda later and the antics started all over again.

"Hey hey, here's a good one!" munched Beast Boy, taking a bite of his second slice of pizza and smiling as the gooey cheese stretched. "Why did the hipster burn his lips?"

Raven, of course, rolled her eyes, as the rest of Beast Boy's audience was more or less interested. They pondered, especially Starfire, who inquired just what a 'hipster' exactly was. A minute or two with grumbled and wrong answers, all eyes turned to the green prankster, who smiled as wide as he could.

"He took a bite of his pizza before it was _cool_!"

Mock laughter was heard as Beast Boy truly laughed, holding his stomach.

"I am afraid I do not understand," mused a puzzled Starfire, nibbling on a pizza crust generously dipped in mustard. "Is it not logical that human flesh would burn at those temperatures?"

"Uhhh...well, Star, it is," Cyborg was going to attempt to answer, but he thought better of it, and Robin could only shrug.

As the four bickered back and forth about what hipsters are and aren't, and Starfire pleading for an explanation to a word she did not know, Raven's right pointer finger drew imaginary circles on the table. She was eating slowly, enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying her friends, but she wanted nothing more but peace and quiet and a bet to sleep in. Exhaustion could appear in two forms, physical and mental, and the halfling was currently low on both, and her eyes drooped. Bite after bite she remained silent and soon the pizza was gone, and money was laid on the table. Cyborg stood and stretched, Robin and Starfire following suit, lazily meandering toward the exit. Raven's mind fogged -_ it was time to go already?_

Though Robin and Cyborg left, now in a heavy discussion on why they disliked hipsters, a curious-as-ever Starfire peered at Beast Boy, who was waiting for Raven to stand before he would.

"Are friends Raven and Beast Boy walking back to home with us?" she asked kindly, drifting back to their table.

But before Raven could reply with a common 'yes', Beast Boy cut her to it, giving a wink at the Tamaran.

"I was gonna talk with Rae for a bit before we left," he voiced, casting a quick glance to Raven's reaction, "If that's, y'know, okay,"

But when the hero turn again to look for Starfire, she was already gone, though an echo of a giggle lingered in the air. They both sighed, boy and girl, which caused the two of them to look at each other suspiciously. The green one broke eye contact first, sheepishly slurping the last of his soda with an unpleasant noise. Raven, in turn, grit her teeth due to the annoyance.

"I though I told you to never call me Rae," she muttered, her gaze straight and even.

"Aw, come on Raven," he smiled, sensing an opening in the conversation. "It's all outta good fun!"

"Funnn..." she muttered, quite dry, and quite sarcastically.

Continuing, Beast Boy turned to Raven, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, look...I guess I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay? Y'know, from all that happened?"

"Yes." It was a lie.

"Well, 'kay..." he breathed, his hand going to rest on his lap, "If you care, I was scared. All those little babies and that little girl...I was really scared. Almost felt like too much for my day back on the job. But of course, I did tell you it'd be easy!"

Thus the silence overtook them again, even with his last happy comment, and the empath could feel a tiredness overcoming her yet again. She wanted to just go home, go sleep, go rest, but she could sense that her comrade still had something to say. Out of sheer boredom, a black aura engulfed the straw in her glass of water, moving in it in a circle motion to stir the ice. Her indigo eyes watched it go, round and round, and she lost track of her mind.

"How did you do it?" she asked suddenly, eyes on the straw.

Beast Boy was obviously surprised, pulling on the collar of his shirt. "Wh-what do ya mean?"

"The fight, the girl," she clarified, still watching the straw. "How did you not freak out? You always freak out."

She watched him as he thought, her eyes finally breaking from the straw as it started to slow, unpowered. He had his lime eyes looking down at the table-top, thick brows furrowed in concentration. Raven knew he wouldn't answer the question straight away nor find an easy answer - it was Beast Boy after all. But it was near comforting to watch him think about such a simple question so thoughtfully, and Raven found herself gazing over each change in his face. The stronger jaw, though still slightly over biting his lip, was defined from all the smiling he did. Even with his lips tightly pursed she could see the faint parentheses framing the corners of his mouth. His hair was longer, shaggier, but the tousled look suit his messy and bouncy personality, and thus it was slightly pleasing to look at.

_Pleasing?_ She thought, internally questioning herself. _Beast Boy is anything but pleasing, in appearance and personality._

Her eyes traveled to his broader shoulders, his longer arms. Those arms protected a little girl today, and she noticed that they were stronger. His torso, his legs, his feet, all bigger and longer and toned. It was him, it really was, but as he still pondered her question, she struggled. He was pleasing. Just being here with him was pleasing. But the memories of the jokes, the annoyance, and the noise; all she felt was loathing. But staring at him now and she felt content. Content with the boy who risked his life for children who hadn't experienced life yet, content with him even though she wanted to scream at him for leaving so long ago. Her face flushed, and her eyes blinked - she didn't actually like him now, could she?

Suddenly his hand slapped the table, and Raven jumped, staring at the boy beside her with red cheeks.

"I guess," he started, giving Raven a smile she couldn't help but note as handsome.

"I just had a little 'Faith'!"

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**After that scary encounter with Kardiac, the Titans enjoy a day off. But just as everyone plan's for an enjoyable picnic in the calm weather, a storm blows through and forces everyone to choose something else. Surprisingly, everyone settles on ghost stories, and Beast Boy makes it a goal that he will scare Raven - but does he go a little too far? Or is something else creeping around the tower? Get ready for a fun and FLUFFY chapter next!**


	5. To Tremble

*****NOTE: Author's note at bottom; hope you like this chapter! It's pretty long!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - To Tremble**

**o0o0o0o0o**

A sigh released past his lips as he finished towelling his hair, drying the rest of his chiseled torso and legs, for once not taking a moment to admire his new physique in the mirror and role-play some situations with the ladies and fan-girls he liked to flirt with. It wasn't often he was able to take this long of a shower or ponder thoughts in the steamy air, so Beast Boy would accept the opportunity with wide arms. As he began to slip into a comfortable pair of boxers and then his uniform of white-and-violet, he replayed the battle of yesterday within his mind. The young life, the red-glass heart, a split decision to burst the chamber open with pressure. A quiet girl who liked dogs, her name Faith. If he wasn't so occupied in adjusting his hair just as he liked it, then the changeling might have taken the coincidence as a sign.

Of course it crossed his mind; how odd, that on his first mission with the girl who he couldn't quite get along with, that on a particular day he couldn't seem to work together with her, they rescued faith. Literally and metaphorically.

His eyes closed as he looked back on their return to the tower:

_o0o0o0o0o_

_'Cloak rippling, Raven entered, stoic and not making any noise that could seem to announce her arrival. And yet behind her came an opposite being, dripping and smelling vaguely of cola. His hair was soaked, his hands sticky and held out beyond his body as he tried to keep anymore soda from staining his uniform. His voice was loud and caused his empathetic teammate to turn and glare at him. She knew her friends were probably falling asleep._

_"Raaaeee, I told you I was sorry! Jeeze!" he shook his hands, dripping more syrup-brown to the floor. "I was just trying to make you smile!"_

_"Like you've ever succeeded in the past," she had muttered, flying over to the kitchenette. That, of course, only made him whine more, about how he smelled like artificial products and chemicals and how his hair was sticky - only to be hushed by a cold towel on his jaw. There, faced covered by her hood, but there all the same was Raven. Wasn't she angry at him? She had poured soda all over him, bursting out of the parlour. Barely keeping a hold on her powers she told him to 'get off'. He was near sure there was a curse word somewhere mixed in the insult. Yet now she was wiping clean the stickiness on his cheek, his nose, his brow. He never realized that he was trying to stare at her eyes._

_Her hand retreated with the cloth, blinking at him in what seemed an uninterested fashion. "You're staring again."_

_"Yeah," he mumbled, a heat coursing to his cheeks, but eyes staying locked with hers. "...weren't you just mad at me, like, five seconds ago?"_

_Her hand was now fully at her side. "No, annoyed."_

_"Tch, you expect me to believe that?" He pointed a finger to his hair, looking at her accusingly. "Soda, Raven. Cold soda!"_

_Her eyes only narrowed, where the green hero had hoped she would smile triumphantly. "That little girl had been through a lot, and you turned her into a joke!"_

_"I did not!" protested the changeling, finally breaking eye-contact with the girl to turn in an exasperated sigh._

_He could hear her go back to the kitchen, wringing out the towel, her pale hands turning off the sink. He could hear her walk, her inhaling breath as she prepared to speak._

_"I was never mad at you for the joke."_

_He turned to look at her, immediately curious. What was she mad at him for? He couldn't fathom out of all the things that could make her mad seeing that she had the patience of a tiny pebble._

_"It doesn't matter," she mumbled, making her way to her room. "But if you'd like to know, I've decided that I'm over it. I'm not mad at you anymore."_

_And she disappeared.'_

_o0o0o0o0o_

With the memory closing, Beast Boy in turn opened the door of the bathroom. His skin tightened with the contact of the chilled air in the tower and wished he could spend another hour (or two or three) in the warm water. But as a happy Starfire cheering 'Good morning!' whizzed by in a fluffy pink bath-robe he knew that the chance to go back was lost. It was only confirmed as the door shut behind him and the lock turned with a delicate click.

Grumbling, the green hero entered the common room, Robin livid over an article in the paper and Cyborg finishing what seemed to be bacon-pancakes. A few sniffs from his green nose and Beast Boy was sure.

"Ewwww, Cy, those things are gross enough on their own!" He sulked to the fridge, casting an accusing glare at his robotic friend's breakfast plate. "Don't go mixing that stuff! Cruelty, I say!"

In response the tall titan chuckled, pushing the plate away with a satisfied huff. "Your loss, BB, your loss!"

An apple and bag of spinach were removed from the fridge, and soon soy milk and applesauce, the hero moving on from his friend's breakfast to his own. Soon other numerous products were placed around the counter, including powdered protein, and Beast Boy began throwing this-and-that into the blender. Robin and Cyborg, both curious, left their other tasks to peer over their friend's shoulder. After some deducting they noted he was making a protein shake of sorts that wasn't a shake: so a protein smoothie! They both grimaced as the concoction turned just as green as their pal's skin. It only made Beast Boy laugh.

"Haven't you guys ever had a green smoothie before?" he asked, adding more cubed pear to the blender.

"Uh, no," mentioned the cybernetic teammate, pointing disbelievingly at the bag of spinach that was now half empty. "And I don't believe I will be soon."

"Actually, Cy has a point," mentioned Robin, watching the blender turn the concoction a lighter green after a splash or two of soy milk was added. "Doesn't spinach taste...bitter? And protein powder isn't much better!"

Beast Boy only snickered, turning the blender off and pouring it into a tall glass, and garnishing with a straw - bendy, of course. Both Cyborg and Robin watched with stunned expressions as he sipped the smoothie and walked away casually, never grimacing or shuddering once. It turned into an argument of how the green changeling must've been faking it, how something with that much gross stuff and something so green must taste bad. But the next they looked, Beast Boy was already a third done with the drink, stealing Robin's paper to read the comics.

With a cocky and devilish smile, the changeling raised his glass to his friend's as if in cheers, mocking Cyborg, "Your loss, guys, your loss!"

Beast Boy's sharp laugh could be heard as Cyborg threatened to blast the 'grass stain' into next week. Soon one of the doors shifted as another teammate entered, and the only who noticed was the happy green titan. His arm rose and he waved at Raven, who looked at the mess on the counter and equated it to him. Cyborg only grew louder as he realized he was being ignored for the empath. The cloaked girl rubbed at her temples in stress and confusion, hoping that this morning was going to be more quiet. It certainly turned out she was wrong, and quickly she proceeded to clean up after Beast Boy's mess.

Happy to not have to clean up, the changeling took another sip of his smoothie, only to be given another glare - and then another - from the girl taking care of _his_ mess. He figured that Raven was being nice but some help was in order, and the glare she gave his sheepish smile proved his point.

"Mornin' Rae!" He grinned, unplugging the blender and filling it with water as the girl beside him put away the produce.

"Don't you ever pick up after yourself?" Muttered the heroine beside him, "And don't call me that."

Frowning, the changeling shrugged, using a towel to clean the blender of residue. Cyborg soon handed his plate to his green pal in hope that he'd get out of cleaning it, but only a green tongue stuck out at the hopeful hero.

"It's too early for these childish games," Mentioned Raven, clearly unamused.

"Yeah, well if you saw what BB made himself for breakfast you'd be JUST as grossed-out as me!" Before the green hero could retort, Cyborg shifted to the table and held the goopey smoothie in the cloaked girl's face. "Raven - IT'S GREEN!"

"And tasty!" Suggested an aggravated Beast Boy as he snagged the glass away from the metal hand, pouting and glaring as he slowly took another sip of the drink.

Just as the two were about to go at it another round, the hand that held the smoothie was encased in black. With a surprised canine-like yelp, Raven's powers pulled at her teammate's hand and brought the glass and Beast Boy to her. Quietly she grabbed the straw and took a sip, dainty and without a grimace - all three men stared at her as if she had grown a third head. Beast Boy, his hand chilled by the dark aura, could only blink at the girl before him. She was drinking his drink, she wasn't complaining. And a quiet thought in the back of his mind resonated:

_Her lips are using my straw._ He eternally mused. _Her lips, and my lips...touched the same straw! Doesn't she think I'm like...diseased?_

Too anyone, something like this would be trivial, even annoying. But to the green hero this was magnificent - his mind was on cloud nine. The girl who had always avoided him, lectured him, berated him, the girl he now thought so beautiful was actually taking the time to share something he made. Though their friends thought it was gross, she tried it. Tasted it. And as he peered closer, the round of her lips on the straw and pursed in such a way, a new sensation came over him that was unbelievably foreign.

He wanted to kiss her.

And as she looked up at the green face now mingled with a dusting of red, he could've sworn he'd seen her smirk.

"It's good."

Images flashed and her indigo eyes shone with honesty as she told him his concoction was 'good'. She then left, and Robin and Cyborg tried to close their gaping mouths. Reaching forward to instinctively take another sip of his drink, Beast Boy found he couldn't bring himself to place his lips back on the straw she had used. It made him nervous, as if he would be sharing something sacred. Her lips, his lips, sharing the same space. He might've even been able to taste her mouth on that small plastic surface thanks to his feral senses. Warm and tender images had clouded his mind his hands feeling the milky texture of her cheek, the soft plush of her lips, the exotic silk that was her ebony hair. The heated fantasies made him realize something very important, and he dumped the rest of the green smoothie in the sink, though his eyes were fixated on the last flash of navy that just escaped beyond a door.

* * *

"Okay, is everyone ready to go?" A perky Robin called from the kitchen, stuffing what appeared to be an old-fashioned wicker basket. Bread and cheeses and lettuce and - with a shudder from the leader - tofu was added to the inside. The usual secluded and serious titan was now smiling, his back to the TV as he happily prepared a picnic basket. As he was reading the paper in the early morning, it read a beautiful weather forecast. Robin, always the avid thinker, had decided a little time to enjoy the great weather and the city would be just what his precious team would need after their hectic battle with Kardiac and Faith. His yellow gloves finally placed the final additive of five bottles of cola, twisting and placing them as if the entire basket was a puzzle. Nodding with pride, Robin concluded that not even a perfectionist could pack a better basket - he had placed everything to reduce damage and induce natural cooling by layering the different lunch pieces.

Perfect.

"Uhhh, Rob?" Cyborg shifted from the couch to look back at the kitchen, his fingers hesitantly hovering over their game-station controller. He was waiting for Beast Boy to return from a bathroom break. "Have you checked the weather?"

"Of course," muttered the doting hero, his finger tapping the city's newspaper without turning to his friend. "The paper said sunny and seventy degrees! Perfect for a picnic and perfect for all of us to catch up on each other's lives."

The cyber-titan swallowed a suppressed smile, knowing all too well how this was to end. "Did you look out the window?"

"Of course not!" replied Robin, yet again slapping his hand on the newspaper near him. "This periodical is very accurate, you know."

Just as Cyborg was going to open his mouth to reveal the unfortunate upheaval of his partner's plans, the right door swished open and wafted forth the smell of a sweet, exotic perfume and thus announcing Starfire. The Tamaran princess flew into the operating room and gave Cyborg a brilliant smile, before calling out to the young man fidgeting in their kitchen.

"Oh, Robin!" she began, running a hand through her tidal wave of hair, rippling like crimson water. "It is quite unfortunate that the joining of the 'picnic' could not be sustained today. Certainly it will be appropriate for another time in the near future!"

Robin, of course, turned a one-eighty to not only give the alien warrior a dashing smile, but to inquire why his friends suddenly seemed to think that the picnic wasn't actually happening. Upon finally viewing Star, he also got a good look out the wide and clear windows over the ocean, resulting in the masked hero taking a sharp intake of breath. A minute past, and her finally trudged back to the basket he so expertly put together and began to pull it apart. There would be no picnic and it was easy to understand why - beyond those wide windows and over the greying ocean was a rolling front of thick, choking clouds adapting the color of smoke. It seemed reverse as the dark masses rolled in like ocean waves and the sea itself was still before the oncoming storm. Everything was awash in a chilly glow, promising rain in the cold tendrils of light that caressed the tower.

Beast Boy soon bounded back to the main room, a look of determination on his face as he was ready to continue Cyborg's challenge head-on. But only seconds passed until he skidded to a halt, his hands rubbing at his upper arms. A whine escaped his lips, earning him a blank glance from the already grumpy Robin.

"Jeeze! It's cold! When did it get so cold?"

No sooner did the green hero's mouth open than the rain began pelting along the windows, and soon the misty view from the tower was distorted into sheets and waves of icy rain falling down the glass. The entire tower seemed to echo the haunting sound, and thus rendering the new season in Jump City official. It was certainly no longer summer, and the future of a chilly winter echoed in their ears. Cyborg, much to Beast Boy's annoyance, turned off the game station.

"B Boy, we need to save a 'lil power," he cautioned, tossing his pearly white controller towards the wall. The rumble of thunder in the distance only proved his point. "Though the Tower is backed up with generators t'not short-circuit inna storm, we shouldn't be careless."

A waving finger pointed eccentrically at the now black screen, the changeling distraught. "But I was just about to beat you, dude!"

"Yeah right, as if, shorty," snorted the taller titan, casting an impish smile at his good friend.

Just as the lanky green hero was about to retort the insult and possibly try to loosen a few of Cyborg's screws, a familiar voice entered the hall and seemed to keep his mouth from working.

"Are you two seriously at this again?"

Her hood was down and nose buried in a book, one that the title couldn't exactly be read from a distance. Voice clearly annoyed, the titaness traveled across the perimeter. Though if she wanted peace and quiet so badly, why come here?

Lime green eyes watched as the whimsical indigo cloak followed Raven to the couch, her shoulders shifting back and forth as she found a comfortable nook against the cushions. It was a popular spot to find her in, beyond that of her room, and just viewing the girl reading made Beast Boy want to snatch the book from her hands, snap it shut, and tell her to lighten up and have fun. Yet also, as the whirling wind and rain outside caused outlandish light and shadows to dapple the floor and the halfling's ebony hair, he couldn't help but be relaxed. It made him wish he had the attention span to read.

But books were boring.

"Hey, Rae, watcha reading?" he purred, vaulting over the couch to have his backside bounce on the cushions only a few feet from the dark girl.

She managed to not be phased. "I told you to not call me that."

Eyes near feline, the green metahuman crouched forward as he attempted to read the title of the book that stole the young woman's attention. The book itself was bound in a dark leather near to black, yet it faded in spots to a hue of deep red that could remind a man of blood. Etched into the cover and spine was a series of detailed spirals and thorns, remnant of a rose, laced with a silver paint that shone in the cool luminescence. To Beast Boy's annoyance the title of the book was by far the most fancy and gaudy silver etching of them all, taking on the appearance of ancient calligraphy and morphing the letters in to swirls and sharp declines that the hero couldn't bring his delicate mind to register.

"Drrr...Draee...uh..cul? Um...?" His original jaunty tone was lost as his eyes were entranced by the magnificent typography.

Possibly with extra force to convey her growing agitation, Raven sighed, "It says 'Dracula'."

Immediately the young man lit up, before pulling a forearm over his mouth and arching an eyebrow, mimicking his idea of the vampire count.

"Mwahaha," he chuckled deeply, before dashing forward to snatch the leather tome. "I am going to zteal your book!"

Instead of lashing out angrily, the grey-skinned girl brought a slack palm to her forehead, hissing an exhale through her teeth. Beast Boy laughed in the faux voice he adopted, sounding only like a cruddy amateur than a terrifying blood-sucker. Interrupting his cheesey cackle was a golden hand who also took the book, her delicate fingers flipping thoughtfully through the crisp pages.

"I have heard much of this 'Dracula' to understand he is a fictional entity to induce fear," she nodded, before her emerald eyes shone brightly to the other female in the room. "Tell me, friend Raven, do you enjoy stories of terror? Would you be entertained by the group participation of the, how you say, stories of ghosts?"

As if to emphasize the idea of sharing ghost stories, the crying heavens anguished with thunder, the dark masses blocking out natural light and leaving the tower bleak. Any extra glow was soon snuffed as the green changeling flicked off the lights, only to pull a flashlight from a near cabinet. He flicked it on, shining it under his chin, earning an approving gasp from the Tamaran. Robin couldn't help but find himself grinning, pleased with Beast Boy and Starfire. It took a lot to pull Raven out of her little world, but it seemed they were trying to compromise.

His thoughts were soon shot down as Raven pulled up her hood, mumbling darkly, "No."

"Hey, why not Rae?" asked a disappointed Cyborg, his eyes nostalgic. "I was just thinkin' uppa good one from my campfire days."

"No," she repeated, only louder in response. "My stories are not exactly the type of scary you're used to."

But as each of her four teammates crowded around the blue clad heroine, all with their own look of pleading, the empath reconsidered. Beast Boy especially tried to stick his lower lip out as far as it could go, the cogs of his fragile mind thinking up an impish plan. His mind's eye sputtered to life as he imagined his four friends riveted on an old scary story he was told at youth. The room would be dark, as he would pull the blinds over windows, and the only light would emanate from the flashlight he had now in his hands. And then, with no warning, the flashlight would fall and he would disappear, only to scare then unsuspecting Raven - she would jump right into his arms.

His eyelids fluttered, and as Raven finally accepted to join, he fought to suppress the jittery feeling in his abdomen.

Raven may be his opposite, and drive him to do stupid things. She might chastise him and cause him to rethink actions over a guilt that only her stern voice could induce, but from the moment he saw her in his bedroom that one night Beast Boy discovered something amazing. A determined smile graced his lips and the jitter in his stomach soon became a roaring fire.

This was a game, a game of feelings.  
And Beast Boy_ loved_ games.

* * *

Starfire's story brought the least amount of fear as half the words she used were in a foreign tongue none of them knew, speaking of 'portkins' and 'flarnops' and other supposed vicious creatures. They gasped and clapped and questioned at appropriate times - all except Raven - but the listeners were all relieved as the fiery alien's story-telling drew to a close. Robin volunteered second, only to boastfully repeat a tale all the titans have heard numerous times before about a rather racy encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime, though he sauced up the tail with a dramatic voice and even getting one or two of the listeners to jump. Cyborg, by far, was the most successful with his classic haunted story. A boy, young and naive. A serial killer, cold-blooded and hungry. Beast Boy couldn't admit that he screamed like a girl after his friend had managed to the computer mainframe to set off an alarm at the finish of his story.

"Not funny, Cy", grumbled the hero as the cybernetic man, boy wonder, and alien princess all held their sides from laughing and giggling to the extremes. Lime eyes snuck a hopeful look at Raven, but a hand was suppressing her mouth and hiding the smile he knew was there.

_How come Cyborg was able to make her smile!?_

Beast Boy fumed and grumbled, his lips curling back in an annoyed snarl. This seemed to get everyone's attention as it wasn't often the lovable titan displayed this sort of animalistic emotion. Raven, the first to recover, could sense rolling emotions pouring from the hero and she was immediately swamped with the emotion of jealousy. She cocked her head in confusion; jealousy? Why, instead of embarrassment or aggravation, was this emotion prominent?

But as his lean fingers took hold of the flashlight once more and his frantic footsteps paced around the room to cover the windows, Raven's mind hushed. Soon the common room was delved into complete darkness, and Beast Boy could sense as she relaxed in the comfort she found within the inky blanket. His thumb brushed upward and soon the flashlight beamed upward, and Beast Boy caught all of his friends squinting at the light, their pupils shrinking as they fell tense. He smiled, the shadows cast upon his foresty skin making it look much more menacing than intended. They were the hunted, and he was the hunter.

"Deep within the Congo jungle," he began, forcing a hush on his puny audience. "A mighty tribe once lived. They knew the secrets of the land; spoke with the trees, equal with the animals, servants to the earth."

He could hear Raven snort.

After clearing his voice and shooting a glare to the cloaked figure, he continued, "They had lived there for years, living like Gods, wise and healthy. And then as time grew on, their era was crushed by the fist of mechanics and gunpowder. Colonies, white men, searching and plowing through their sacred grounds. Times grew toxic and many fled, only to be exterminated by the very men who claimed they were to improve their lives."

Starfire, thankfully, was already on the edge of her seat. But everyone else felt they were listening to a rather over-dramatic documentary on the local history channel.

"One such boy," he continued, forcing his voice to sound dark, channeling a guttural growl from his stomach, "Happened to make it beyond the territory boundaries. He hid in the undergrowth, his blood soaking the land he sought to protect. His hands, his feet, were pierced by bullets, arrows, and thorns alike. His skin was rippled with the blood and white puss of the satanic whip, hair matted like a feral creature. His eyes were alight only with instinct, as it was then his soul no longer was human. It was not long, however, that this poor boy was consumed by the forest, the mighty panther savoring his blood like the finest wine."

As he initiated the death of the poor victim, Beast Boy flicked off the light, dousing the room in utter darkness. He smiled wide, just barely holding back a snide snicker as he heard the breath hitch in his four listeners. This scene before him was golden as his enhanced senses adjusted to the dark. All his friends seemed blind, and Starfire now clutched on to Robin's hand with a vice-grip. If he hadn't been so pleased she was holding his hand, Robin might've winced in pain from her hold.

"The Tribe, the soldiers, were sure the boy was dead. Either of infection, suicide, or the jungle's term they weren't sure, but they were quite positive he was dead," the changeling now murmured, directly behind Raven. He watched as her head swiveled toward the sound of his voice, her cloak shifting at her speed. But he was long gone, admiring the glint of her eyes from behind Cyborg.

"Night fell," he continued, nearly doubling over in laughter as he heard a small 'eep' coming from buff and bruly Cyborg. "And all was silent in the compound. No man, woman, or child was awake, and even the stars seemed absent as thick evening air lulled its victims. Soon, though, as the most attentive would note, a smell of blood lingered in the air. They pressed their hands in the dirt as they tried to rise but only gaped as sticky clumps of bloody earth clamped onto their skin. Hideous growls tore through the night and all began to scream."

Suddenly, the impulsive story teller smacked his hands on the coffee table, resulting in a shocked jump or noise coming from his listeners. His voice was quiet as he suppressed a laugh.

"To the villagers, it was their salvation," he murmured, his breath yet again dangerously close to Raven's ear. But this time, he couldn't sense her turn or reaction. "Their angel of death, sent to save their souls from Hell on earth. To the white men, however, it was satan incarnate - a bloody panther, broken arrows for teeth and claws, white mist snaking from his paws. Bullets tore through its magnificent pelt to give him holes within the holes patterned on his fur. But he cried with the voice of the boy who had seemingly perished in the forest, all knew death would lie with them that night."

He paused for dramatic effect, smiling all the while, before adding the ending that would make all and any ghost story complete:

"And to this day he wanders the jungle, punishing all souls who betray their home, their family, or their loved ones."

Quickly, and before any Titan could turn the light back on, Beast Boy morphed into a panther, gliding behind the couch without a sound. He heard the audience shift, as if waiting for the scare. Chest gliding to the ground, the dark emerald feline counted down within his mind on when he would release a terrifying roar and scare all who reside on the couch.

But instead of his roar filling his ears, the terrifying crash of glass filled them instead. Cold wind and pelting rain suddenly entered the room from an unknown source, and the timid titans all scattered. Raising an expert head he scanned the area with his skilled eyes fueled by adrenaline, his whiskers twitching as Beast Boy took it all in. Robin had dragged Starfire off and behind the kitchen counter, and Cyborg was nowhere to be seen. But the slits of his reflective eyes narrowed as he watched a wisp of blue fabric fly down the hall. Action before mind, the instinctive panther burst forth as he attempted to regroup with the solo teammate.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**Something is attacking Titans tower and delivers a rather unpleasant message. But everyone seems to blame Beast Boy and his ego and Raven is unsure what to do. Can he prove them wrong and convince her of the truth? **

*****Authors Note: Please OH PLEASE critique my writing: I'm noticing each chapter my word count is going up and up, and though I love long chapters, I don't want to overwhelm anyone. Also, any predictions or things you want to see? Finally, am I rushing these two relationship (as it implies it is a BBxRae fic). I dunno. I'm doubting myself a lil with school stressin me out HAHA ;;; But thanks guys! Love you all SO MUCH!**

**~~Your Faithful Entertainer**

**Silver**


	6. To Release

*****NOTE: Hello readers - I am SO sorry! I never meant to postpone this chapter for so long, but here it finally is! I couldn't help it, if you want a reason, it was quite simply school. Junior year is the toughest year they say and my fatigue and stress is certainly proof of that! But no worries - I WILL update. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six - To Release**

**o0o0o0o0o**

She could hear her breath, shaky, livid. It was miraculous, the one girl who normally showed nothing being betrayed by her breath and body. The shattering of glass only moments ago triggered the ever familiar adrenaline, fleeing the scene, or at least attempting to go someplace calm before reassessing whatever situation occurred. But Raven's heart quickened, her expert ear picking up on the sound of doughy muscle on soft carpet. The plush sound seemed closer, louder, faster and she only ran further - her own muddled emotions contorted her empathetic abilities. Raven was blind. 'Damned Garfield' ran through her mind as she fled, inky images of bloodied witch-doctors and demonic beings of the Congo jungle creeping in the shadows of the West wing. Fear fueled them and she could swear the footsteps were biting her heels. Lanky legs caught up with the girl in seconds, and a dark body caught her waist, pulling her around the corner as their other free hand covered her mouth. Her pulse sent shivers down her spine. She felt it quicken in her delicate body and wide eyes blared white as the magic was activated.

She tried to scream but it was muffled, and she could feel the beginning of the cold aura begin to form.

"Shhh, shh, sh! Raven!" The captor whispered harshly, instantly hushing the girl. "Don't freak out, it's just me!"

The voice that rasped through her ears pacified the black entities forming around her hands, though that didn't calm her aggression. Right hand raised and flying, Raven's scowl only returned to her normal stoic expression when her open palm made a sharp contact with her captor's cheek. It took not even a second for her mouth to be free of its prison.

"Beast Boy!" She attempted to whisper harshly, but to her dismay it came out more shaky than expected. "You're lucky you aren't wandering in a barren dimension right now - why would you go and do something as stupid as this?!"

With eyes not nearly adjusted to the dark of the tower halls, all the halfling could make out before her was a dark mass with one hand she assumed rubbing the slapped cheek. Soon tousled hair cam into view and an ever-present fang protruding from his pouting lip, all giving way to signs of a disgruntled, green titan. His eyes were hardly their jewel-essence in the shadows, but even now she could see a spark that found fun in the disastrous situation the two found themselves in. Quietly, the hand nursing his raw cheek lowered to Raven's belly and gave it a ginger poke whilst the arm still around her waist tightened ever-so-slightly.

The once pouting lips were now upturned into a smirk. "You know, Rae, I always knew we'd end up in the dark with our arms around each other, but I gotta say...it didn't go how I thought it would!"

"Don't make me slap you again," she muttered near incoherently, pushing the limber arms off from her waist. "And now is no time for calling me by a label I have repeatedly reprimanded you from using - what in Azar's name did you do out there?"

Jaunty expressions returned to a disgruntled one and Beast Boy peeked around the corner the two titans were hiding behind, a protective arm hovering in front of the cloaked empath. In that moment, the young lady was still trying to suppress the lingering heat on her cheeks that came from the realization of where her teammate's arms had been; it had felt near natural, and she hadn't noticed until he even mentioned it. So strange, that the girl who noticed everything, even the things that didn't need noticing, couldn't notice warm arms against her skin. It made her want to displace away the protective forearm before her, even though he only meant it kindly.

"To be honest Rae...I don't know." Moments passed, and quietly the titan broke the silence. "But it sounds quiet."

"I don't care if it sounds anything," she hissed, finally lacking control and shoving the green arm down from its protective stance. "Doesn't mean it's safe."

His head swiveled just so, to look back at the panicking titaness with a cross expression. Raven too knew that her normally laid-back attitude was wavering, but how could it not? In a fight, in a battle, it was easy to know what to predict and summon the solid walls that kept her heart cold - but this case was shocking, surprising, and as much as the Teen Titans liked to think that Raven was fearless it was quite untrue. Even a child of darkness could feel nervous in the shadows. But as she bit back a frown at her disappointment in her teammate, she regained the steely barrier and rose from the ground. Even as Beast Boy reached forward to grab her cloak as she curved the bend, she would not stop, determined to find the cause of ruin in her otherwise peaceful evening. Though she sensed as much nerve from Beast Boy as was acceptable in this situation her immediate idea of who to point her finger at was tall, green, and currently attempting to talk her out of going back to the common room.

She only hovered on, stopping only in front of the door that would lead into the area now decorated with lethal glass shards upon the floor. Due to automatic Tower Shut-Down (a system that turned off unneeded power for unexpected attacks) the door before her remained shut and would only open with manual touch. Raven had this small moment to cast out her empathetic senses. Though she felt a hand pulling on her cloak it was but a minor nuisance, and soon her dark lashes kissed the brims of her mauvey cheeks as the rhythm of her body changed. The breath retreating through her nose slowed and her mouth remained shut, and her aura projected into the possibly dangerous room. Immediately she brushed the strongest emotions - Starfire, easily expressing her shock and fear in the ethereal air, though the was a minor sense of contentment. Clearly the princess was happy her Robin had gone to her rescue even if her physical state was more reliable for withstanding physical attacks. Robin was easy to find, his tightly masked emotions mingling with the alien's. Wisps and tendrils were all the hooded girl could clutch at, but she deemed him safe and stable, and if anything more, as curious and furious as she. Cyborg was not too far off and he was by far the most disturbed, his fear mingling with a form of blind fury Raven had difficulty processing - though he often did say he hated surprises, and from his feeling she could only imagine the not-so-calm reprimanding Beast Boy would receive.

Relieved to know her friends were safe, Raven sighed, but the expression gracing the heroine's features at the time did not change as she set out to search for one final strain of emotions. Though her Rage chanted infuriatingly irrational reasons that the culprit at hand was the currently tense boy behind her, logic ensured that all aspects needed to be checked. Including a foreign visitor.

It was, though, increasingly odd that Raven did feel a foreign emotion. But it was passive, dormant, like a slumbering beast awaiting a call from its master to perform the wildest tricks that had been secretly tamed. It was everywhere, yet nowhere, as if in the air and it reeked of feelings the empath couldn't put her finger on. But the longer she stood quietly, the longer she doubted this presence as just an after-effect fluke: past emotions lingering in the aura of the tower of times old. She often would discover them.

As her eyes opened, she reached out her hand to press the small sensor that would command the door before her to open with its swishing voice, but a grasp of another's prevented her.

"Raven, stop," commanded the boy - man - beside her, his flouncy green hair covering his furrowing brow. The appearance aided to make his worry seem much greater, though the halfling could easily sense the anxieties her teammate was feeling. "Look, I don't have sense-y-mind powers, but this doesn't feel right. Couldn't we wait a while? Please?"

His calloused hand gripped tighter, locking her fingers in place, though hardly tight enough to cause discomfort. His eyes pleaded and his heart did too; Raven suppressed the urge to retreat. The emotions around her - fear, curiosity, worry, anger - invaded her mind as if she were naked and exposed, cold and shivering in the open of the wild. The way Beast Boy was looking at her didn't help the situation either, and in the coldest way she could possibly imagine Raven tugged her hand away. She would not indulge him nor herself, and it took several seconds for the cloaked figure to remind herself that she was furious with his crazed antics.

Her mind barricaded his dejected aura. "You don't tell me what to do. I do what I feel is right. And this is right...and safe."

Violet eyes bore into green and her delicate hand tapped the access-pad, and the door swished open. Minutes passed, and nothing dangerous made it's presence known or nothing frightening pounced from the pounding rain outdoors, only further enforcing Raven's point. Beast Boy watched bitterly as she left, though she would pay him no heed.

All he meant for her was trouble.

* * *

"It's safe." Repeated Raven, her feet hovering just barely above the glass, her powers inspecting the area one further time. There was nothing to be found, not even a whisper, and Robin was the first to come to Raven's side. Starfire followed soon after, her golden hand picking up a small fraction of glass. She seemed to find a deeper meaning in its fragmentation than anyone did, for her expression was filled with sorrow. Little did Raven know that she had seen the look on Beast Boy's face before picking up the shattered shard.

Cyborg's voice mingled with the ticking of his built-in scanner called out to the group, "Liana."

"Gesundheit?" Beast Boy's implication was quiet, hardly heard as the five heroes walked closer toward the dark mass that had broken the window.

"No, _liana_," repeated the cyberman, his fingers tapping away at the tiny screen on her forearm. "It's the most common vine, with varying species all over the globe. This thing right here is a vine, yo!"

All eyes stared and studied, though little scrutinizing was necessary. It was thick, as wide as the T-Car and barely taller than Starfire at full height, making it well over five-feet tall. The Tamaran was the first to approach it, apprehensively, but with naive curiosity. Her palm pressed against the thick obstacle - it was cold and wet from the November rain, but beneath it she felt no pulse, no furious life. To her glowing eyes it was just a dark, damp root. A plant. Her foreign mind attempted to reconstruct what Earth knowledge she had of vines, the most particular one of the tale 'Tarzan'. She had watched once after catching Raven reading the novel, and she was pleased with the romanticized Disney version.

"Excuse my wondering, but are these 'liana' supposed to be this large?" Her voice sounded small against the fauna.

"No," Robin's stern voice came from above her, and she was pleasantly surprised to see the hero above her kneeling atop the root, though his expression was certainly an upsetting one. Green, gold, violet, and blue all watched as their leader seemed to be observing something upsetting, and then as his gloved hands appeared to be scraping at whatever his eyes had seen. Their expressions did not change as he rose and returned to floor level, in his hands a simple (and wet) index card. The silence was choking.

Raven wanted to snatch the card, read it and burn it, and then torch the disturbing excuse for a plant that had ruptured her peaceful bubble. But her eyes only watched on placidly as Robin handed the card to Beast Boy, his voice as stiff as his angry expression.

"Read it."

Beast Boy swallowed nervously, clearly disturbed by the change of events, and he pointed to himself in question. "M-Me? Bu-"

"Read. It." Robin's command couldn't have been anymore clearer.

As white glove took the card from black glove, the situation couldn't be any more stressful. The cloaked empath watched with regrettable curiosity as her green teammate cleared his throat and started to read aloud the five words that would only make his day worse. His voice fell with each and hence her anger grew with each in turn.

"W-With love," he stammered, eyes widening to display his disturbed mindset. "...with l-love..."

Raven wanted to scream, his stammering and stuttering only using what little patience she had left. But as the small voice came through, she wanted to scream at him for a whole new reason.

"With love, from the Congo."

* * *

"I told you I didn't do it!"

"Yeah right," Raven sneered in her gravelly voice, glaring at the young man before her. "All signs point to you! You were telling a scary story and you just had to pull the perfect prank."

Beast Boy protested. "It wasn't me, it wasn't me! I mean yeah, I still love pranking, but this is too much even for me!"

"Nothing is too much for you," she retorted, her fists clenching at her sides. It was becoming difficult to stay in his presence.

"Perhaps we should take 'the breather'..." added a quiet Starfire, her comforting hand alight on Beast Boy's shoulder, attempting to bring peace to the situation.

Beast Boy looked into the alien's light eyes, gently removing her hand. "We don't need a breather - we need to find out who did this!"

Against her building anger, Raven did indeed try to calm herself down, both her fingers rubbing comfortable circles at her grey temples. Logic and Wrath were fighting inside her, and she tried to make sense of the situation - the analyzed card Beast Boy had read was in cursive and the plant was genetically enhanced, two things both beyond her teammate's capacity of skills. Yet the undying anger harbored within her beating chest was unyielding to her rational and she couldn't help but ponder at it all. Why? Why now? Hadn't the two - day and night, dark and light, yin and yang - been actually getting along for once? But the deeper she dove as Starfire and Beast Boy bickered, the more she felt troubled and frustrated. He _scared_ her, he made her feel frightened in a place where she felt safe. And the feeling was so familiar, it suddenly struck that it felt like the day he abandoned her to the ruins of a broken team. Betrayal, now felt two-fold.

"You did this!" She whirled on him. The once calming air now becoming stirred again, and Raven's voiced raised, the light-bulb above her bursting - no one noticed the pop due to her hectic voice.

But her tone certainly triggered something else, and the green hero rose from his seat, jerking a thumb to his chest. "I did NOT!"

"Friends, please! Cyborg's analysis already has proved the handwriting is not Beast Boy's!" Starfire pleaded.

But the cloaked girl only pushed on, levitating to his height and locking eyes, her hood falling off her head as angry winds stirred her cape and hood. "It was YOU. You did this, you did all of it, you bro-"

"Shut-up, Raven, what is wrong with you?!" His left arm swished out behind him in a calming manner, though his eyes did not reciprocate. "You KNOW me - I didn't do this!"

Her pale finger poked forward into his chest, and she successfully made the hero take a step backward. "You, you, YOU! All YOU!"

The room had grown quiet now. Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg all shared thoughts of separating the two, though something with-held them. Maybe it was fear of being lashed at or respect to not disturb the other's issues, but it was also the first time the three had seen Raven and Beast Boy converse with each-other more than small-talk. What exactly could they do to pacify the situation?

As they watched, green arms reached out, gripping slim wrists, glaring into her dark eyes. It wasn't a threat but to Raven it was intimidating, and she attempted to rip her hands away from his warm hands.

"Raven," he spoke, voice dark and serious, copying the tone Robin often used. "This isn't you. Where are you?"

But she hissed, finally pulling away and hiding under her cloak - though her face fully exposed her anger. "I am here! Right here in front of _you_, a man of fault!"

"But Raven, you know it wasn't me! I don't have a green thumb, I don't know science, I don't even know cursive! I mean, I suck at those things and you've told me many times!"

Now the sink started to shake, and the tap violently sprayed out from the faucet, all from Raven's blooming wrath. Her teeth clenched, and the piece of rationality the halfling still held attempted to call out to her, warn her of the danger of emotions and her powers going wild. She closed her violent violet eyes, opened her clenching fists, allowing the cool air to circle her sweaty palms. In and out went her breath, in and out went her anger. But the young man before her, being who he was, just couldn't let the task go. How stupid he could be.

"...Raven?" A mistake, but he stepped forward, voice soft. "Don't you trust me?"

All went still, all went quiet, all except the drumming rain on the transparent windows. How lucky those windows were to be transparent and to let all see what's on the other side, unlike the difficult Raven. She was as opaque as ink, and no one could see through her whether she wished it or not. Raven knew she couldn't be angry at the boy before her or harm would come to his delicate flesh and so it was the windows who bore her pain - how dare the windows, how dare the simple glass be more useful than _her_, more believable than _her_, more likable than _her_. Slowly their flawless surfaces cracked under the emotional pressure, webs of breaking glass rupturing the deaf air. This time it was not the vine. It was Raven.

"How could I trust a man that abandons," she muttered as the glass broke, wind and rain and sharp shards raining like red leaves in the fall breeze. Her voice conveyed nothing, the nothing that she must be day in and out, the nothing that her void of a heart must feel. Yet no one in the room how much emotion she wished could drip off those words, like rain off glass.

"How could I trust a _friend_ that _leaves_?"

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**It was bound to happen sometime or another, and Raven finally needs to come to terms with her feelings; is Beast Boy the friend she's known and trusted? Or has his seeming betrayals been too much for the empath? Of course, there's this mysterious plant and ominous letter to deal with from the Congo - what exactly is going on? What does the author have planned for this story~?!**

**Stay tuned for next time!**

**(P.S. What would you guys think of an ask-blog for these Titans?)**


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